"This taro looks so fresh, stewed pork ribs must be delicious!" In the corner of the vegetable market, Aunt Wang is happily selecting the mountains of "taro" stacked on the stall. She gently rubbed the powdery skin with her hand while bargaining with the stall owner.
Uncle Li, who was shopping for vegetables next to him, suddenly interjected: "Big sister, you have to see clearly, it's not taro, it's alocasia, poisonous!" As soon as these words came out, it was like thunder on the ground, Aunt Wang's eyes widened, and the "taro" in her hand instantly became heavy.
"No, Uncle Li, this thing looks exactly like taro, how can it be poison?" Aunt Wang was skeptical, and the surrounding customers were also attracted by this sudden controversy, and they stopped to watch.
Seeing this, Uncle Li patiently explained: "Alocasia is what the folk often call 'Dripping Guanyin', although the appearance resembles taro, but the whole plant is poisonous. I have a relative who went to the hospital for several days because he accidentally ate a seacast, and his tongue was so rotten that he couldn't even eat. ”
01. Alocasia's "camouflage"
Taro-like: The unripe Alocasia tubers are pale yellow or light green in color, full in texture, round in shape, and covered with a thin layer of soil, which at first glance does not look like freshly unearthed taro.
Especially for the average consumer who is not familiar with the details of the plant, it is difficult to detect the subtle differences between the two just by looking at them with the naked eye.
Misleading name: Alocasia's nickname, "Dripping Kannon," sounds Zen-like, reminiscent of a temple's sacred object, and invisibly reduces people's awareness of its potential dangers.
The word "Guanyin" is far from the daily consumption of "taro", which makes some people mistakenly think that it is an ornamental plant rather than an edible crop when they hear this name, thus relaxing their vigilance against its possible toxicity.
Confusion: Alocasia does not only grow in remote forests or wastelands, but is adaptable and can settle in urban parks, community green belts, and even the courtyards of some families.
When people see it in familiar streets and alleys, leisure walks and places, it is natural to regard it as a harmless landscape plant, ignoring its true identity as a "fake taro".
02. Alocasia's true identity
Whole poisonous Araceae: Alocasia is not an ordinary taro, but a large evergreen herb belonging to the genus Alocasia in the family Araceae.
It contains a variety of toxic substances such as calcium oxalate, hydrocyanic acid and alkaloids, whether it is stems, leaves or roots, once touched or ingested, it may cause different degrees of poisoning reactions in the human body.
Landscape and ecological applications: Although Alocasia is toxic to humans, it plays a beneficial role in landscaping and ecological environments. Alocasia has wide leaves and is evergreen all year round, which can effectively purify the air and beautify the environment.
It has relatively little water demand, strong stress resistance, and easy maintenance, so it is favored by gardening enthusiasts and is widely used in public green spaces, home interior decoration and other occasions.
03. The hazards and poisoning manifestations of Alocasia
Intense toxic effects:
Calcium oxalate: Alocasia juice contains calcium oxalate crystals, which can form insoluble precipitates in the digestive tract after ingestion, irritate the gastrointestinal mucosa, and cause abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and other symptoms.
Hydrocyanic acid: This is a highly toxic substance that strongly inhibits the activity of respiratory enzymes, and even small ingestions can cause breathlessness, rapid heartbeat, decreased blood pressure, and in severe cases, respiratory failure.
Alkaloids: The alkaloids contained in Alocasia are neurotoxic and can directly act on the central nervous system, causing a series of neurological symptoms, such as pain and numbness around the mouth and throat, paresthesia in the tongue, salivation, dysphonia, chest pain and tightness.
Wide range of routes of poisoning:
Oral poisoning: Accidental ingestion of Alocasia is the most common way of poisoning, whether it is its stem, leaf, root or other parts, without proper treatment and direct consumption, it will lead to poisoning reaction.
Skin-to-skin contact: Alocasia juice can cause itching, numbness, and rash when it comes into contact with the skin, and in severe cases, it may cause damage to skin tissue.
Eye contact: If Alocasia juice accidentally enters the eye, it can quickly cause eye irritation, pain, and even corneal damage, and in severe cases, temporary or permanent vision damage.
Manifestations of poisoning:
Initial symptoms: Symptoms of poisoning after ingesting Alocasia often appear quickly in a short period of time (about 10-30 minutes), and the initial manifestations are burning, tingling, and numbness in the lips, mouth, and throat, accompanied by increased salivation and difficulty swallowing.
As the toxin is absorbed, digestive symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, as well as respiratory symptoms such as chest tightness and chest pain, may occur. In severe cases, the tongue is swollen, speech is slurred, and even acute laryngeal edema occurs, resulting in obstruction of breathing.
Serious consequences: In extreme cases, Alocasia poisoning can lead to life-threatening conditions such as breathlessness and aggravation of breathing difficulties, cardiac disorders, and heart failure. Severe corneal damage from eye contact can lead to vision loss.
04. Accidentally "hit" remember three tricks
Rinse with water: Rinse your mouth with plenty of water immediately after ingesting Alocasia to remove toxins from your mouth and throat as much as possible. If available, gargle with saline or sodium bicarbonate solution to help neutralize some of the toxins.
If Alocasia juice contaminates the skin, rinse immediately with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes to completely remove the juice from the skin. Avoid rubbing with your hands to prevent further penetration of toxins.
Scrub with vinegar or ginger juice: If the mouth and throat are already sore or numb, you can use a cotton swab dipped in diluted vinegar or fresh ginger juice and gently apply it to the affected area. Acetic acid helps to neutralize some alkaloids, and ginger juice has a certain anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect.
For areas of skin that are already itchy, red and swollen, apply vinegar or ginger juice to the affected area, gently massage for a few moments, and rinse off with water. These two substances help relieve skin irritation and reduce inflammation.
Seek medical attention promptly: Regardless of the severity of symptoms, you should immediately call the local emergency number after ingesting Alocasia, describe the situation in detail, follow professional guidance, and wait for the ambulance to arrive.
Alocasia, a seemingly harmless "street regular", is actually highly toxic, and a slight carelessness may cause serious poisoning. From its striking resemblance to taro, to the potential threat of whole-plant toxins, to the emergency response after accidental ingestion, our understanding of Alocasia should not stop at superficial appreciation, but should deeply understand its potential hazards and enhance awareness of prevention.
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