Alocasia odora, is an ornamental plant in the Araceae family. This plant lives in Asia, known by several names, such as “Night-scented Lily” and “Giant Upright Elephant Ear”.
Apart from being an ornamental plant, this plant is also used as a medicine for the treatment of flu in North Vietnam. At first glance, Alocasia odora has a shape similar to Colocasia gigantea and Colocasia esculenta whose stems and tubers are edible. But in Alocasia odora the sap contains a dangerous poison (calcium oxalate crystals) or needle raphides, which can cause poisoning in humans if the sap is exposed to or swallowed in the mouth.
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Plantae
Angiosperms
Monocots
Alismatales
Araceae
Aroideae
Colocasiae
Alocasia
Alocasia odora (Roxb.) C.L.Koch
When the leaves turn yellow or wilt, it is best to cut them near the base of the leaf stem, which is called “chop the top”. Thus this plant will immediately give rise to new, fresher shoots. If planted in a warm area, this plant will grow well in moist soil and slightly protected from sunlight.