Dangerous plant - Dumb Cane (A Crotons Plant)

This plant (Above Shown) is very common at our houses, gardens, parks and offices (popular as indoor & outdoor plant). The plant (Dumb Cane ) is now proven to be dangerous, so, please take care !!... I know that the leaf of this plant causes itching if its sap (milk) touches your skin. But there are more dangerous facts!!..... Read the details below.


Any of the species of herbaceous plants valued as indoor foliage for their ability to tolerate low light intensities. The name mother-in-law’s tongue, sometimes used for these plants, is also applied to Sansevieria species. Dumb cane (especially D. seguine) gets its name from the temporary speechlessness that occurs after chewing a piece of the stem. Juices of the plant contain oxalates and other substances that irritate the mucous membranes and cause swelling and inflammation of the tongue and throat. Dumb cane is reported to have been given to slaves as a form of punishment.



Dieffenbachia includes about 30 species of erect tropical American herbs in the arum or aroid family (Araceae). Only a few display fancy, large, more or less variegated leaves; they include D. maculata (formerly D. picta) and D. seguine (native to the West Indies), both of which have yielded colourful varieties of horticultural interest. D. amoena is a plant of large size, up to 6 feet (180 cm) or more, with 20-inch- (50-cm-) long leaves, having creamy markings along the larger veins. Flowers are borne on a long spadix, with male flowers on top and female flowers below. A row of sterile flowers separates the two sexes. Clusters of bright red or red-orange berries are the resultant fruits. The genus was named for an Austrian gardener of the 1800s who worked at Schönbrunn.

May be useful for you.

Please read below. The message is true.

I almost lost my daughter who put a piece of the leaf of this plant in her mouth and her tongue swelled to the point of suffocation. This is one plant but there are others with the same characteristics of coloring. Those are also poisonous and we should get rid of them. Please watch out for our children. As we all leave our children home in the hands of the helpers, we should give them a safe environment where they can play.




"This plant that we have in our homes and offices is extremely dangerous!
This plant is common in Rwanda, in many offices and in homes. It is a deadly poison, mainly for the children. It can kill a kid in less than a minute and an adult in 15 minutes. It should be uprooted from gardens and taken out of offices. If touched, one should never touch ones eyes; it can cause partial or permanent blindness. Please alert your buddies.

Name: Dumb Cane (A Crotons Plant)

See this site for some more info and also for REFERENCES:

http://www.botanical-online.com/alcaloidesdiefenbaquiaangles.htm

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/173459/dumb-cane

http://boardreader.com/thread/Unnamed_poisonous_plant_mj37X1a9v.html