| a West Indian foliage plant, Dieffenbachia seguine, of the arum family, having yellow-blotched leaves that cause temporary speechlessness when chewed. |
dief·fen·bach·i·a  (dē'fən-bä'kē-ə, -bāk'ē-ə)  n. Any of several plants of the genus Dieffenbachia native to tropical America, having stout, jointed stems and large, variegated leaves and widely cultivated as an indoor plant. Also called dumb cane, dumb plant. [New Latin, genus name, after Ernst Dieffenbach (1811-1855), German naturalist.] |
| dumb cane n. See dieffenbachia. [So called because its leaves contain a substance that swells the throat when eaten.] |
dumb cane
any of about 30 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.
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