in taxon vegetable-producing plant, root, tuber or bulb pulaka plant giant swamp taro PLANTS:CYME10 Pulaka (*Cyrtosperma merkusii*), or swamp taro, is a crop grown in Oceania (especially Tuvalu) and an important source of carbohydrates for the area's inhabitants. It is a "swamp crop" similar to taro, but "with bigger leaves and larger, coarser roots."Pulaka roots need to be cooked for hours to reduce toxicity in the corms, but are rich in nutrients, especially calcium. Pulaka is an important part of Tuvalu cultural and culinary tradition, now under threat from rising sea level and displacement from the growing use of imported food products. cyrtosperma merkusii giant swamp taro Cyrtosperma merkusii requires discussion