Elephant ear may refer to: The ear of an elephant Plants Several genera in the family Araceae (Arums) Alocasia, genus of broad-leaved perennials in tropical & subtropical Asia to Eastern Australia Caladium, ornamental plants with arrowhead-shaped leaves originally from South America Colocasia (taro), a genus of flowering plants native to tropical Polynesia and southeastern Asia Xanthosoma, a genus native to tropical America cultivated for their starchy corms Burdock, a thistle in the genus Arctium Bergenia crassifolia or other plants in genus Bergenia, shade-loving flowering garden plant Other uses Another name for one of several desserts, including a palmier and fried dough Gynandrocarpa placenta, genus Gynandrocarpa, a colonial ascidian, sea squirt, found off the Cape Peninsula, South Africa Smoke deflectors on steam locomotives may be called "elephant ears" in US railway slang See also Elephant ear sponge (disambiguation) Elephant ear tree, Enterolobium cyclocarpum or Macaranga gigantea