OTHER COMMON NAMES: AIVI;BLEEDING HEART;COCOYAM;DASHEEN;EDDO;EGYPTIAN GINGER;ELEPHANT EARS;IMO;KALO;KELADI;TALAS;CALLALOO;DALO

Colocasia esculenta is widely cultivated throughout Africa as Taro or Coco-yam, as a major carbohydrate foodstuff. Prolonged boiling is needed to make it safe to eat. See Toxicity.

The main toxin is calcium oxalate, present as needle-like raphides inside specialised cells throughout the plant, called idioblasts, which when chewed fire the needles into the tongue, gums and throat of the eater. The needles cause thousands of micro-wounds, probably also introduce oxalic acid into damaged tissues, and additionally cause massive histamine release and cause extreme pain and swelling. Prolonged boiling largely destroys the property of the raphides and the calcium oxalate and oxalic acid remaining in the plant cells has no toxicity. There is a seasonal variation in toxicity; toxicity is highest at the end of the dry season (December) and lowest in February. Used as an arrow poison in Gabon with Strophanthus gratus, and by the Dajak in South eastern Borneo mixed with Antiaris toxicara. Colocasia indica is used as a blowpipe poison by the Semak in Perak, Malaysia. The aqueous extract causes paralysis in frogs. Also contains toxic saponine in the tubers which causes in vitro hameolysis in dilution of 1:20,000. Ingested causes multiorgan degeneration.