Alocasia brisbanensis (F.M.Bailey) Domin
Elephant's ears (Alocasia brisbanensis) is a long-lived, evergreen perennial herb that is native to eastern Australia. It was introduced to New Zealand as a garden ornamental and was first recorded in the wild (naturalised) in 1867. The plant grows from thick underground rhizomes and has large, glossy, arrow-shaped leaves on long fleshy stalks. It flowers from November to February, producing a pale green to cream flower enclosed by a hood-like bract, which develops into clusters of bright red berries. It tolerates shade, damp conditions and a range of soil types. It reproduces by seed and vegetatively from rhizomes. Seeds are dispersed by birds. Rhizomes are spread by soil movement, dumped garden waste and other human activities. All parts of the plant contain calcium oxalate crystals and can cause irritation if eaten or handled.
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