The Colocasia Esculenta Bastet Queen shows very dark, almost blackish-violet leaf tissue on contrasting pale petioles. Unlike Alocasia the leaves hang downwards rather than standing upright — that is the reliable way to tell the two genera apart.
 
Alocasia forms tubers and stores its reserves there. From autumn many cultivars drop leaves, some retreating entirely to the bulb — this is natural dormancy, not a care failure. Keep warm, water considerably less, do not feed or repot. In spring it pushes new growth from the tuber.
 
This plant is rooted and established. After shipping it may take a few days to acclimatise — slight leaf stress, curled leaves or a growth pause in the first two weeks are normal. Heavily variegated leaves are more vulnerable in transit than green ones and may show occasional browning at the edges.
 
Delivery quality: you receive a comparable plant from the same batch as shown. Since every variegation is unique, no two specimens are alike.