Dieffenbachia pollenation

From: "Julius Boos" <ju-bo at email.msn.com> on 1998.10.06 at 15:12:55(2658) >>All this talk about pollen and seeds encourages me to ask about Dieffenbachia seeds (I have hesitated for months, because you all have such exotic species). +More -------------clip---------------- Dear Walter, There were a few (?) articles in some early journals of our society (you should become a member!) that explained Dieffenbachia pollenation; it involved keeping the humidity around the bloom VERY high by wrapping it in a plastic bag. If you send me your reg. mail address, I may be able to copy these articles for you. Be careful of these plants, as the sap can be VERY dangerous. I have a documented case of death ( a young girl) from biting the stem of one of this species. Lots of other "horror" stories about BAD symptoms from contact with the sap. Best wishes, Julius ju-bo@msn.com

From: "Walter V. Turner" <turner at mailgate.urz.uni-wuppertal.de> on 1998.10.06 at 19:42:48(2660) Dear Julius, Thanks. I will become a member soon. I have just been too busy to plan anything lately. It is good of you to offer to copy the articles, but I would feel too much like a parasite, seeing I have been so slow in becoming a member. I will take you up on it later. I am aware of how poisonous Dieffenbachias are. Every so often I chop some plants up to start new ones, and working with the bleeding stems is like washing your hands in glass slivers. About 25 years ago one of the plant journals had some particularly nasty photos of rabbit eyes that had been treated with various fractions of Dieffenbachia juice. I also know the stories of the use of "dumb cane", which I have always suspected to be myths, though it doesn't matter, as the point is real enough. Has anyone ever determined for sure whether it is just oxalic acid, or are other chemicals responsible? I am careful, and I don't keep children or pets in the house. Walter +More >Dear Walter, >There were a few (?) articles in some early journals of our society (you >should become a member!) that explained Dieffenbachia pollenation; it >involved keeping the humidity around the bloom VERY high by wrapping it in a >plastic bag. >If you send me your reg. mail address, I may be able to copy these articles >for you. >Be careful of these plants, as the sap can be VERY dangerous. I have a >documented case of death ( a young girl) from biting the stem of one of this >species. Lots of other "horror" stories about BAD symptoms from contact >with the sap. >Best wishes, >Julius >ju-bo@msn.com > > > > > > > >

From: dave-poole at ilsham.demon.co.uk (David Poole) on 1998.10.07 at 00:57:34(2661) Walter Turner wrote: > I also know the >stories of the use of "dumb cane", which I have always suspected to be >myths, though it doesn't matter, as the point is real enough. Has anyone >ever determined for sure whether it is just oxalic acid, or are other >chemicals responsible? I am careful, and I don't keep children or pets = in >the house. +More Oxalis acid and calcium oxalate crystals in the form of raphides are responsible for the severe irritation caused by the sap. When in contact with sensitive skin or mucous membranes through ingestion, these raphides can cause rapid and dramatic localised swelling. HTH David Poole

Note: this is a very old post, so no reply function is available.