Descriptors for Taro (Colocasia esculenta) is a revision of the original IBPGR publication Descriptors for Colocasia (AGP:IBPGR/79/52, 1980). The 1980 list was based upon the work of the Regional Committee in Southeast Asia and its descriptor numbers are given in parentheses beside the present descriptors for cross-referencing purposes. This descriptor list includes modifications for the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, New Caledonia and Vanuatu developed during 1989 to 1997 by Dr Anton Ivancic and Dr Vincent Lebot. However, the list is suitable for Asian, Pacific and Caribbean taros. A draft version prepared in the internationally accepted IPGRI format for descriptor lists was subsequently sent to a number of experts for their comments and amendments. Later it was revised by taro experts as part of the AusAID/SPC Taro Genetic Resources Project - Taro Collection Strategy Workshop, during 7-11 December 1998, at NARI, Lae, Papua New Guinea. The names and addresses of those involved are given in 'Contributors'. IPGRI encourages the collecting of data for all five types of descriptors (see page 1, Definition sand Use of Descriptors), whereby data from the first four categories - Passport, Management, Environment and Site, and Characterization - should be available for any accession. The number of descriptors selected in each of the categories will depend on the crop and their importance to the crop's description. Descriptors listed under Evaluation allow for a more extensive description of the accession, but generally require replicated trials over a period of time. Although the suggested coding should not be regarded as the definitive scheme, this format represents an important tool for a standardized characterization system and it is promoted by IPGRI throughout the world. This descriptor list provides an international format and thereby produces a universally understood 'language' for plant genetic resources data. The adoption of this scheme for data encoding, or at least the production of a transformation method to convert other schemes into the IPGRI format, will produce a rapid, reliable and efficient means for information storage, retrieval and communication, and will assist with the utilization of germplasm. It is recommended, therefore, that information should be produced by closely following the descriptor list with regard to ordering and numbering descriptors, using the descriptors specified, and using the descriptor states recommended. This descriptor list is intended to be comprehensive for the descriptors that it contains. This approach assists with the standardization of descriptor definitions. IPGRI does not, however, assume that each curator will characterize accessions of their collection utilizing all descriptors given. Descriptors should be used when they are useful to the curator for the management and maintenance of the collection and/or to the users of the plant genetic resources. However, highly discriminating descriptors are marked as highlighted text to facilitate selection of descriptors. Multicrop passport descriptors (see Annex I) were developed jointly by IPGRI and FAO, to provide consistent coding schemes for common passport descriptors across crops. They are marked in the text as [MCPD]. Please note that owing to the generic nature of the multicrop passport descriptors, not all descriptor states for a particular descriptor will be relevant to a specific crop. In Annex II, the reader will find a Collecting form for taro that will facilitate data collecting. Any suggestions for improvement on the Descriptors for Taro will be highly appreciated by IPGRI.