Leren (Calathea allouia), a little known tuberous root crop of the Caribbean

Abstract

The unusual crisp texture of the Chinese Water Chestnut (Eleocharis dulcis Trin.), and of the bamboo shoot (species of Phyllostachys, Bambusa, Dendrocalamus, and Gigantochloa) is shared by a little known tuberous root of the Caribbean, Calathea allouia (Aubl.) Lindl., the leren. Known for centuries as an edible plant, the leren hlas been distributed around the globe, and has been well accepted wherever it has been tried, although it has not become a major crop anywhere. Nevertheless, its unusual characteristics suggest its usefulness as a specialty crop and, in particular, as a source of a new hors d'oeuvre. In this limited sense, leren needs more attention from agricultural scientists. The literature concerning leren is especially scant. In order to obtain any information at all we have had to trace a large number of minor references of very little value. Most references in the literature appear to be copies of earlier reports and do not merit quotes here. First-hand accounts are rare, and research is nonexistent. In this publication we have attempted to pull together the scattered fragments and to report our own experiences, experiments, and judgments about the value of the crop. The pre-Columbian distribution of leren is not known, but fragmentary reports throughout the literature suggest that it is native to Hispaniola and Puerto Rico, some of the Lesser Antilles, the Guianas to Brazil,