Leucocasia gigantea, also called the giant elephant ear or Indian taro, is a species of flowering plant.

[1] Leucocasia gigantea is a "sister species" to another widely-cultivated 'taro', Colocasia esculenta, as well as to the alocasias, such as the large Alocasia macrorrhizos; it is speculated that L. gigantea was created as a result of natural hybridization between A. macrorrhizos and C.

[4][5][6] In Japanese, it is commonly called ハス芋 (hasu-imo),[7] or "lotus yam".

[citation needed] In addition to its value as a starchy root vegetable—known by many names, such as taro, or arbi (in Hindi)—the plant’s leaf stalk (petiole) is also used as a vegetable in some areas of Southeastern Asia and Japan.

[citation needed] It is sometimes used as an ingredient in miso soup, chanpurū and sushi.