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News & ArtsSunday, July 12, 2009
??!! / Wilderness Dumb Cane: New to be Feared!
Posted by Jen Graves on Sun, Jul 12, 2009 at 4:06 PM
For some reason, when I type the word "dumb" into Microsoft Word's thesaurus, this is what appears:
dumb cane n
a poisonous tropical American plant that if chewed can lead to loss of speech in adults or death in children and small animals. Latin name: Dieffenbachia seguine
This is a plant that makes you go dumb! And that looks like a cross between bamboo, hosta, and basil!
You have been warned, people who like to talk.
2
This should be served at the next Republican fundraiser as a new kind of salad. Please give an extra helping to Boehner and Graham and Sanford and Cheney.
3
It never fails to surprise me how young Slog staff is (except Dan who just acts immature). You all sound so innocent and unknowing.
These were very common houseplants in my grandparents homes....
These were very common houseplants in my grandparents homes....
4
@3: Whereabouts in the country did your grandparents live? I'd imagine this is more of a regional thing than an age issue.
6
Is there a "Living Room / Don't Open That Door!" tag to go with the "Wilderness" one? Ditto @3: these were actually super-popular houseplants in the 60's and 70's; my grandmother had an 8-footer. Maybe she was trying to off us little brats?
Wikipedia says they contain calcium oxalate/oxalic acid, but the plants rarely cause poisoning severe enough to require drastic intervention.
Other common plants with oxalic acid: rhubarb (tons in the inedible leaves; enough in the stems to require cooking before consumption), spinach, chard (that's what gives you the puckery sensation and the squeakiness on the teeth). Supposedly chronic consumption of lots of spinach and chard puts enough oxalic acid in the blood to gradually leach calcium out of the bones, enough to cause or aggravate osteoporosis.
(Sorry to geek out. Plant biochemistry and ethnobotany are long-standing interests of mine.)
Wikipedia says they contain calcium oxalate/oxalic acid, but the plants rarely cause poisoning severe enough to require drastic intervention.
Other common plants with oxalic acid: rhubarb (tons in the inedible leaves; enough in the stems to require cooking before consumption), spinach, chard (that's what gives you the puckery sensation and the squeakiness on the teeth). Supposedly chronic consumption of lots of spinach and chard puts enough oxalic acid in the blood to gradually leach calcium out of the bones, enough to cause or aggravate osteoporosis.
(Sorry to geek out. Plant biochemistry and ethnobotany are long-standing interests of mine.)
9
When my mom was a kid, working in the garden with her sisters, her older sister had one of those moments where you think of the perfect thing to say and you just can't not say it: "Look at the dumb Kane carrying the dumb cane!" My aunt still feels guilty about it.
10
The loss of speech is caused by your tongue becoming swollen if you bite into one, as my cousin once did. The plant also sweats a sort of toxic sap. It doesn't burn too much on the skin, but it must burn as hell on the tongue or eyes.
12
cats silently mouthing "meow" was a frequent sight in the home of my primary school friend. her cats celebrated their own special dieffenbachinalia with regularity, as evidenced by the always-chewed edges of mrs. davis's green leafy dieffies.
13
@11 Doubt it. I read it and I didn't want to answer your question.
If the plant was brought to the US 150 years ago, it wouldn't matter where my grandparents are from. It's been here a long time.
Kids at Slog who are just going out in the world are often AMAZED at what they encounter out there (Hi Lindsy, Hi Paul!).....you know, like what my grandparents had.
If the plant was brought to the US 150 years ago, it wouldn't matter where my grandparents are from. It's been here a long time.
Kids at Slog who are just going out in the world are often AMAZED at what they encounter out there (Hi Lindsy, Hi Paul!).....you know, like what my grandparents had.
14
I swear my four-year-old nephew rubbed the sap on my arm yesterday and then looked at me expectantly.
15
@13: Okay, got it. Things that aren't new to you aren't interesting to anyone.
Frankly, I was responding to what seemed like just a petty and sour attempt to belittle Jen and others that you see being inappropriately surprised by things you've already heard of.
As for my question, I apologize if it was invasive. My point stands, however, that this could be a regional issue rather than having anything to do with age or generational plant fads. The fact that a plant was introduced long enough ago to have given it time to spread doesn't address that possibility.
Frankly, I was responding to what seemed like just a petty and sour attempt to belittle Jen and others that you see being inappropriately surprised by things you've already heard of.
As for my question, I apologize if it was invasive. My point stands, however, that this could be a regional issue rather than having anything to do with age or generational plant fads. The fact that a plant was introduced long enough ago to have given it time to spread doesn't address that possibility.
16
This is one of the most common house plants in America. You've probably seen them all over the place and didn't know what it was called. Very few people eat them.
20
@15 Oh brother. I was not being sour. I have read other posts of yours and that seems like projection to me. Have these guys paid you to defend them?
Articles in the NYTimes are frequently full of the same wide-eyed sound --- "I lost my job but discovered cooking at home is cheaper than eating out! Here's how....."
Sorry about that extra 's' Lindy --- I swore I took it out before I posted! Your posts always make me laugh......
Articles in the NYTimes are frequently full of the same wide-eyed sound --- "I lost my job but discovered cooking at home is cheaper than eating out! Here's how....."
Sorry about that extra 's' Lindy --- I swore I took it out before I posted! Your posts always make me laugh......
21
Yeah, it's caused by high concentrations of calcium oxalate crystals. The levels in dumb cane are high enough to kill, but the effects are so immediate that anyone who puts it in their mouth spits it right back out.
It's the same with rhubarb leaves - the stem part that you make pie out of is fine, but the leaves can kill you.
It's the same with rhubarb leaves - the stem part that you make pie out of is fine, but the leaves can kill you.
22
yeah this really IS one of the most common houseplants, ALL OVER the entire country. not a regional issue at all.
go into any houseplant section of any nursery anywhere, and you'll find em.
go into any houseplant section of any nursery anywhere, and you'll find em.
23
True story: When I was in college one of my housemates was a "life of the party" type who could always be counted on to do some unpredictable thing like take his clothes off at a restaurant and eat houseplants. At a party, he took some ravenous bites from one of these plants and within a few minutes was drooling like crazy and couldn't speak a word. First we thought he was joking, then we freaked out and called 911. The paramedics gave him an antihistamine shot, told us about "dumb cane," and gave him a bill for $800. We learned some lessons that day, including "don't eat the houseplants" and "911 ain't free," and amazingly I haven't forgotten them unlike 9/10 of what I learned at college.
24
Back in the day Women's World magazine used to have these one-page mini mysteries. There was one about a country pharmacist's daughter, who was competing in a beauty pageant. When her rival spitefully ruins her formal dress that her mother lovingly created by hand, the pd takes her out by slipping her dumb cane, so she can't sing in the talent competition.
It was a pretty rad little story. I miss those, and those Alfred Hitchcock and Ellery Queen magazines you used to be able to get at the grocery store.
It was a pretty rad little story. I miss those, and those Alfred Hitchcock and Ellery Queen magazines you used to be able to get at the grocery store.
25
FYI this plant is very common, and like poinsettias and lilies, it is toxic to your pets - do not let your pets chew at it.
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