Executive Yuan spokesman Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇) was hospitalized yesterday after accidentally consuming a poisonous plant resembling taro.
Hsu was rushed to a hospital in New Taipei City’s Sindian District (新店) after he ate giant upright elephant ear (Alocasia odora), a poisonous tropical plant that strongly resembles taro.
He was discharged following treatment with his condition having stabilized, but he was unable to speak due to severe throat pain.
Photo: CNA
Hsu wrote on Facebook that he went home after attending the New Year’s Day flag-raising ceremony in front of the Presidential Office Building and was given what he though was a plate of stir-fried taro with taro stem, which turned out to be the inedible plant.
“I ate three chunks of taro and wondered why the taro was cooked with hot peppers. I then took a taro stem and swallowed it after a few bites, and felt a stinging pain in my mouth, then in my throat and my stomach,” Hsu wrote.
The giant upright elephant ear — whose seeds might have been dispersed to the backyard of Hsu’s house and grown into a plant — was mistaken for taro, he wrote.
“It was really terrifying, like a thousand needles pricking my throat and my stomach,” he wrote, warning people not to confuse giant upright elephant ear with taro.
Following the incident, the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning on the risks of eating giant upright elephant ear, as excessive consumption can be fatal.
The plant is commonly seen in forests, riversides and damp areas at elevations below 2,000m across the nation, and the entire plant, including its corms and sap, is poisonous.
The furry leaves of taro are shaped like a shield without visible veins and can retain water, while the giant upright elephant ear has egg-shaped leaves, which have a smooth surface and cannot retain water.
Incidences of food poisoning associated with the plant were reported in 2012 and 2014, the agency added.
The agency urged the public not to collect or consume unknown plants, and advised people to immediately seek medical attention and present the suspected poisonous food for accurate treatment in the event of suspected food poisoning.
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