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Research institute works to save rare water taro

The Taiwan Endemic Species Research Institute said yesterday it was working to prevent the extinction of an endangered plant that is endemic to Taiwan.

The plant, a freshwater perennial species that is edible, is now mostly found on private land and is on the verge of disappearance because of pollution, it said.

The water taro, or Aponogeton taiwanensis Masamune, has floating oblong leaves and tuberous roots about 2cm to 4cm long. Farmers used to eat these tubers as snacks, said elderly residents of Cingshuei (清水) in Taichung County, where the plant was commonly found in the past.

However, recent research in Cingshuei by the institute showed that the aquatic plant is now quite rare and can be found only in small populations, mainly on farms where herbicides and pesticides are not used, a researcher said.

The institute hopes that through propagation experiments and relocation, it can save the plant from extinction, as its habitats are being destroyed by pesticides and herbicides, he said.

So far, the plants being tended by the institute have been growing well and the institute plans to cultivate the species on a wider scale and promote it as a food crop, the researcher said.

Aponogeton taiwanensis Masamune is a small plant that is easy to cultivate once it gets sufficient water and is grown under the right conditions, he said.
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