Specific Poisonous Plants 



56. Dumb Cane 



Dieffenbachia 



POISON 



When the stems or leaves of the dumb cane are broken, the 

 milky sap that pours out causes severe blistering and inflamma- 

 tion of the skin. The plant is common in the lowlands and wet 

 ground of Central America and southward. When cut, the 

 plant gives off an offensive skunk-like odor. The succulent 

 stems, which are as thick as a man's arm or larger, and a por- 

 tion of the roots usually grow on a level with the ground. The 

 dumb cane is called oto de lagarto in Panama and rdbano or 

 cimarron in Puerto Rico. 



74 



