DUMB CANE

any of several species of Dieffenbachia valued as indoor foliage plants that tolerate low light intensities. The term refers to the temporary speechlessness that can follow from chewing a piece of the stem, which contains oxalates that cause swelling and inflammation of the tongue and throat. The name mother-in-law's tongue, sometimes used for these plants, is also applied to Sansevieria species. 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, 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-centimetre-) long leaves, having creamy markings along the larger veins.