OT dumbcane (was: Moles and other Geophyte predators)

John Bryan johnbryan@worldnet.att.net
Tue, 03 Jan 2006 14:27:37 PST
Dear Dell:

In mythology, a beautiful youth (obvious a member of the PBS) for
unrequited love of whom Echo died, was punished by Nemesis, who caused
him to pine away for love of his own reflection in a spring and changed
him into a narcissus. Species unknown! Thus the association. Cheers,
John E. Bryan

Dell Sherk wrote:
> 
> How is the mythological character, Narcissus, related to sleep-inducement,
> then?
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org]
> On Behalf Of piaba
> Sent: Tuesday, January 03, 2006 1:01 PM
> To: Pacific Bulb Society
> Subject: [pbs] dumbcane (was: Moles and other Geophyte predators)
> 
> > The name "narcissus" descends from the Greek word
> > narkissos meaning (broadly)
> > sleep-inducing.  Narcissus bulbs contain an oxalate,
> > the crystals of which
> > are needle shaped (raphides).  When ingested, these
> > crystals are released and
> > lodge in the mucous membranes lining the mouth and
> > esophagus causing the tissue
> > to swell.  Diffenbachia sp. also contain this
> > compound.  "Dumb cane" is a
> > colloquial term used for this plant.  It has to do
> > with an inability to speak and
> > not, necessarily, to the relative smarts of the
> > person ingesting the plant!!
> > When chewed on by the unsuspecting (most frequently
> > children under five
> > years), swelling of the mucous membranes is so great
> > as to prevent speech (hence,
> > "dumb").  In the worst case, swelling could close
> > off the airway causing death.
> 
> dave, i believe the origin of the term dumbcane was
> not that children or anyone else would unwittingly
> chew on this plant, but that it was used as a
> punishment for escaped slaves in the caribbean (to
> have the cut stems rubbed inside their mouths and thus
> they would not be able to speak for several days).
> 
> =========
> tsuh yang
> 
> 
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