Identification Help: Need my plant's ID!

#1 November 29th, 2005, 05:06 PM

Hi,
My flatmate is getting 2 rabbits at home, and we are concerned that my plant could be poisonous for them. Therefore, I would be very grateful if someone could identify this plant in order to know if it could be dangerous or not for the wabbits!

Thank you!

Alex

http://plantid.blogspot.com/

**Joe Keller** · #2 November 29th, 2005, 06:59 PM

Your plant is one of the cultivars of Dieffenbachia amoena, probably 'Tropic Snow'. One of the common names for this plant is dumb cane. Once, I managed to get a few drops of the sap on my tongue. It was extremely bitter and then my tongue became so swollen that I began to have trouble breathing. Probably not good for rabbits either...... Joe

**Ron B** · #3 November 29th, 2005, 07:50 PM

I think the offending component is supposed to be oxalic acid crystals.

**Michael F** · #4 November 30th, 2005, 09:56 AM

Definitely keep them separate. Rabbits are resistant to a lot of plant toxins (they can even eat things like Deadly Nightshade), and you risk having the plant completely eaten.

#5 November 30th, 2005, 12:45 PM

Thanks a bunch!!

I guess I'll have to find another place for my plant! =)

**Chuck White** · #6 September 27th, 2007, 08:27 PM

The colloquil name for deifenbachia is NOT 'dumbcane' on just a whim. Supposedly, injesting (or, just chewing) the deffie will cause a person to be 'struck dumb', or, lose ability to speak due to the rapid swelling of the mouth and throat. Sufficient swelling could be fatal.

**photopro** · #7 September 28th, 2007, 10:59 AM

"Dead" right Chuck. Dieffenbachia species are one of the few aroids which have been proved to cause death in both human beings and animals. That besides the loss of the ability to talk until the chemical clears the body. If there is any chance of the rabbit trying to eat this, keep the two separated.

Now, Calcium oxalate crystals is only one of the compounds that causes the problem. Dieffenbachia have a combination of chemical compounds that can be dastardly together. But it is not the Calcium oxalate crystals alone that causes the problem..

On a daily basis, I promise, just about everyone reading this eats Calcium oxalate crystals. It is found in many vegetables and one of the highest concentrations is spinach. I don't recall reading of anyone dropping dead lately from eating spinach (well, other than the mess with animal dropping contaminating spinach sold in some states.

If you are a vegetarian you have a high concentration of Calcium oxalate due to your diet. Several physicians have reported this directly to me as a result of an article I have on the internet on this subject. The scare of the substance being a "deadly poison" is far overblown, especially on pet websites and children protection sites.

I've personally taken a bite of Philodendron just to see what would happen. It tastes bad and can cause your throat to swell IF YOU EAT A LARGE QUANTITY! In scientific literature the key is always LARGE QUANTITY.

We will be enjoying the fruit of Monstera deliciosa (Swiss Cheese Plant) very shortly. It takes a full year to ripen. If you look that species up you'll find all sorts of claims "all parts are poisonous". Simply not so! And it does contain Calcium oxalate crystals! All aroids contain the compound. But it tastes great (pineapple and strawberries) and is eaten by people in the Caribbean, Central and South America all the time without harm.

If you go to Hawaii, you'll positively eat Calcium oxalate crystals. Polynesian culture uses a plant known as Colocasia esculenta to cook all the time. If you attend on of their feasts, you'll eat it! Polynesian culture uses the leaves of the plant as a vegetable, to wrap pork and chicken cooked in a fire pit and in other forms. All parts are eaten including the leaves, stems and roots. That same plant is eaten all over the Caribbean and is commonly called Dasheen. If you've ever been to St. Lucia, St. Vincent or just about anywhere in the eastern Caribbean including Trinidad and Tobago, you have almost certainly eaten it!. Several scientific articles prove cooking does not alter the Calcium oxalate crystals!

This is largely an overblown myth. Now, I don't recommend you encourage your pets and children to chew on your aroids (Philodendron, Alocasia, Colocasia, Anthurium and others). But it is highly unlikely to do serious harm to them. It just tastes very bad. It has been described as "chewing on glass needles". But don't try to eat Dieffenbachia! Several deaths have been reported.