A leaf of poisonous night-scented lily, foreground, is seen at the Oita Prefectural Government office on Nov. 5, 2021. It is glossy and darker than those of edible hasuimo, center, and satoimo. (Mainichi/Fumito Tsushima)

       OITA -- A woman in the city of Saeki, Oita Prefecture, accidentally poisoned herself by eating night-scented lily, a toxic plant called "kuwazuimo" in Japanese, the prefectural government announced on Nov. 5.

       The woman in her 60s complained of symptoms including intense pain in her mouth. She is recovering, but her mouth still hurts, the announcement stated.

       According to the prefectural government's food, living and health division, the woman ate a leafstalk of kuwazuimo that was growing in her garden at around 5 p.m. on Nov. 3 after rubbing some salt into it. She spat it out after feeling a sharp pain. The discomfort continued, so she went to a doctor the following day and learned it was caused by food poisoning.

       Kuwazuimo contains acicular crystals of calcium oxalate, which stab into the inside of the mouth when eaten, causing severe pain. While kuwazuimo strongly resembles the edible taro plants Colocasia gigantea, or "hasuimo" in Japanese, and Colocasia esculenta, or "satoimo," the leaves are glossy and darker.

       The prefecture's food, living and health division is cautioning people never to try eating a plant if they cannot identify it correctly.

       (Japanese original by Fumito Tsushima, Oita Bureau)

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