Dieffenbachia

Scientific name

Dieffenbachia Schott

Common names

dumb cane, dumbplant, mother-in-law plant

Family

Araceae

Similar genera

Aglaonema, Schismatoglottis

Native distribution

New World Tropics, from Mexico and the West Indies south to Argentina

Species cultivated

plants offered for aquaria are often offered simply as Dieffenbachia spp.

(several species and cultivated hybrids and varieties are offered as house plants, and for aquaria though not aquatic plants)

D. seguine (Jacq.) Schott

Adventive distribution

Introduced to some tropical islands and areas of tropical Asia. Dieffenbachia seguine is introduced into Florida (United States).

Weed status

not weedy

Habit

terrestrialterrestrial:
(adj) growing on land as opposed to living in water
, helophytic, or amphibiousamphibious:
(adj) of a plant able to live on land or in water
herb

Brief description

Evergreen, often robust. Stems typically erect, unbranched, internodes distinct with conspicuous annular leaf scars, lower nodes rooting; sap often milky. Leaves large, numerous, clustered at stem apexapex:
(n) the point farthest from the point of attachment; the tip (often pointed)
; petiolepetiole:
(n) the stalk of a leaf
sheath long; leaf bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
ranging between ovateovate:
(adj) egg-shaped in outline; generally with the broad end at or near the base
, oblongoblong:
(adj) two to four times longer than wide, with +/- parallel sides
and ellipticelliptical:
(adj) in the form of an ellipse (oval)
, green, often variegated; venationvenation:
(n) the arrangement of veins in a leaf
pinnate, midribmidrib:
(n) the main or central vein, line or rib in a leaf or perianth segment
thick, prominent. Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
axillary, a spathespathe:
(n) a large bract or bracts subtending and often enclosing an inflorescence
and spadixspadix:
(n) a spike of small flowers borne on a thick, fleshy axis
, 1 to several together; pedunclepeduncle:
(n) the stalk of a flower cluster or inflorescence
shorter than the leaves; bracts short, usually inconspicuous. Spathespathe:
(n) a large bract or bracts subtending and often enclosing an inflorescence
tube usually elongated, persistentpersistent:
(adj) (of leaves etc,) remaining attached; not being dropped or falling off
and splitting longitudinally in fruit, limblimb:
(n) the expanded portion of a petal or bract (e.g., a spathe)
erect or recurvedrecurved:
(adj) curved downward or backward
, oblongoblong:
(adj) two to four times longer than wide, with +/- parallel sides
. Spadixspadix:
(n) a spike of small flowers borne on a thick, fleshy axis
erect, slightly shorter than spathespathe:
(n) a large bract or bracts subtending and often enclosing an inflorescence
; flowers small, often turning yellow, orange, or red; berries 2-3-lobed, red to orange; seeds 1-3, green to blackish green.

Natural habitat

tropical and subtropical wet or rain forests, along streams or in open swamps

Additional comments

A genus of over 60 species; the majority of species are found in humid, wet forests, but none are true aquatics. Dieffenbachia is often offered as an aquarium plant as Dieffenbachia spp. Dieffenbachia maculata, D. picta, and D. seguine, plus many cultivated hybrids and varieties, are available as house plants and may also be offered as aquarium plants.

The sap, especially of the stem and petioles, contains toxic compounds and should be avoided by people and pets.