Tropicals & Tender Perennials: Elephant ears or Malanga, 0 by PlanterRik

PlanterRik wrote:
All this is very interesting. I have several taros of which I have kept only small specimens because they don't compete well with the visual attractions of other taros. If I can sort out which ones are worth growing as food, and if I can learn how to prepare them, I may go for it.

I found a couple of sites that point out the risks from Calcium oxalate crystals and prussic acid (hydrocyanidic acid) in parts of the plants. Prussic acid can be produced by crushing or bruising, which explains why MaVie's grandmother tore leaves rather than cut them (tears separate along cell walls without rupturing cells). Dumb cane/Dieffenbachia is related plant of which the sap is said to paralyze the vocal chords. As a kid, I did my best to get out of school by chewing the leaves, but no luck -- just a brief, slightly scratching feeling under the tongue and in the throat.

Here are a couple of links -- scroll down to sections on taros:

http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/ksheets/tubers.html
http://waynesword.palomar.edu/vege1.htm

Root - Yes, bottom center is a younger leaf. Here's a mature leaf.