Dumbcane (Dieffenbachia seguine) is a plant species in Araceae, annual shrubs with thick and wide leaves, striking and varied colors, usually a mixture of green, white and yellow, easy to grow and often planted in houses and yards as ornamental plants, but poisonous.
D. seguine has stringy and yellow roots. The stem has a height of 0.6-1 m, stands upright, soft and gummy, tubular, has segments as a sign of leaf marks, dark green and shiny.
Single leaf, seated alternately, oval shape, flat edge, blunt base, pointed tip, length 25-40 cm, width 15-20 cm, flattened, single bone in the middle and fiber-pinnate, smooth surface, overall green or spotted white and yellow spread in the middle.
A single flower, grows on the leaf armpit, oval, delicate petals, brown, spear-shaped stamens and pistils, oval and white crowns. The fruit is ovoid, 4-8 mm in diameter, green and red when ripe. Round seeds, 3 mm in diameter and white.
This plant emits a lot of water vapor which causes the air to become moist and diligently spraying phytochemical compounds to suppress bacterial populations and fungal spores as a mechanism for plants to survive and protect themselves from pathogens.
TAXON
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Alismatales
Family: Araceae
Subfamily: Aroideae
Tribe: Spathicarpeae
Genus: Dieffenbachia Schott in Wiener Z. Kunst 3: 820 (1829)
Species: Dieffenbachia seguine (Jacq.) Schott in H.W.Schott & S.L.Endlicher, Melet. Bot.: 20 (1832)
HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS
Arum crudele Salisb. in Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton: 261 (1796)
Arum seguine Jacq. in Enum. Syst. Pl.: 31 (1760)
Caladium seguine (Jacq.) Vent. in Descr. Pl. Nouv.: t. 30 (1801)
HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS
Arum regnium Rodschied ex G.F.Mey. in Prim. Fl. Esseq.: 273 (1818)
Arum seguinum L. in Sp. Pl., ed. 2.: 1371 (1763)
Caladium maculatum G.Lodd. in Bot. Cab. 7: t. 608 (1822)
Caladium seguine var. maculatum (G.Lodd.) Sims in Bot. Mag. 52: t. 2606 (1825)
Dieffenbachia amabilis W.Bull in Nursery Cat. (William Bull) 121: 7 (1876)
Dieffenbachia amazonica Mottet in Dict. Prat. Hort. 2: 208 (1893-1894)
Dieffenbachia amoena W.Bull in Nursery Cat. (William Bull) 164: 3 (1880)
Dieffenbachia aureovariegata T.Moore & Mast. in Gard. Chron., n.s., 24: 183 (1885)
Dieffenbachia baraquiniana Verschaff. & Lem. in Ill. Hort. 11: t. 387 (1864)
Dieffenbachia brasiliensis H.J.Veitch in Cat. New Beaut. Pl. 1875: 12 (1875)
Dieffenbachia carderi W.Bull (1880)
Dieffenbachia chelsonii W.Bull ex T.Moore & Mast. in Gard. Chron., n.s., 5: 603 (1876)
Dieffenbachia cognata Schott in Syn. Aroid.: 130 (1856)
Dieffenbachia consobrina Schott (1856)
Dieffenbachia conspurcata Schott in J. Bot. 2: 52 (1864)
Dieffenbachia decora Engl. in A.L.P.P.de Candolle & A.C.P.de Candolle, Monogr. Phan. 2: 446 (1879)
Dieffenbachia delecta W.Bull (1880)
Dieffenbachia eburnea Van Geert in Nursery Cat. (Auguste Van Geert) 66: 4 (1870)
Dieffenbachia gigantea Verschaff. ex Regel in Gartenflora 14: 250 (1865)
Dieffenbachia gollmeriana Schott in Oesterr. Bot. Z. 8: 387 (1858)
Dieffenbachia grandis W.Bull ex J.Dix in Proc. Roy. Hort. Soc. London 4: 133 (1864)
Dieffenbachia illustris W.Bull (1876)
Dieffenbachia imperator B.S.Williams in Nursery Cat. (B.S.Williams) 1881: 23, 34 (1881)
Dieffenbachia insignis W.Bull in Nursery Cat. (William Bull) 176: 17 (1881)
Dieffenbachia irrorata Schott in Prodr. Syst. Aroid.: 334 (1860)
Dieffenbachia jenmanii Veitch ex Regel in Gartenflora 1884: 365 (1884)
Dieffenbachia lanceola W.Bull (1876)
Dieffenbachia lineata K.Koch & C.D.Bouché in Index Seminum (B, Berolinensis) 1853(App.): 14 (1853)
Dieffenbachia lingulata Schott (1860)
Dieffenbachia liturata Schott in Oesterr. Bot. Wochenbl. 2: 68 (1852)
Dieffenbachia maculata (G.Lodd.) Sweet in Sweet's Hort. Brit., ed. 3.: 632 (1839)
Dieffenbachia maculosa W.Bull (1876)
Dieffenbachia magnifica Linden & Rodigas in Ill. Hort. 30: t. 482 (1883)
Dieffenbachia majestica W.Bull (1882)
Dieffenbachia marmorata B.S.Williams in Nursery Cat. (B.S.Williams) 1877: 21 (1877)
Dieffenbachia membranulifera Regel in Index Seminum (LE, Petropolitanus) 1861: 37 (1861)
Dieffenbachia mirabilis Verschaff. ex Engl. (1879)
Dieffenbachia neglecta Schott in Bonplandia (Hannover) 7: 30 (1859)
Dieffenbachia nitida W.Bull (1881)
Dieffenbachia nobilis Verschaff. ex Regel (1865)
Dieffenbachia picta Schott (1852)
Dieffenbachia picta subvar. angustifolia Engl. in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 26: 569 (1899)
Dieffenbachia picta var. angustior Engl. (1899)
Dieffenbachia picta var. baraquiniana (Verschaff. & Lem.) Engl. in Pflanzenr., IV, 23Dc(Heft 64): 50 (1915)
Dieffenbachia picta f. brasiliensis (H.J.Veitch) Engl. in C.F.P.von Martius & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Bras. 3(2): 176 (1878)
Dieffenbachia picta subvar. gigantea (Verschaff. ex Regel) Engl. (1899)
Dieffenbachia picta subvar. jenmanii (Veitch ex Regel) Engl. (1899)
Dieffenbachia picta var. latior Engl. (1899)
Dieffenbachia picta subvar. magnifica (Linden & Rodigas) Engl. (1899)
Dieffenbachia picta subvar. memoria Engl. (1899)
Dieffenbachia picta subvar. mirabilis Engl. (1915)
Dieffenbachia picta f. mirabilis Engl. (1878)
Dieffenbachia picta subvar. picturata (L.Linden & Rodigas) Engl. (1899)
Dieffenbachia picta var. typica Engl. (1915)
Dieffenbachia picturata L.Linden & Rodigas in Ill. Hort. 39: 101 (1892)
Dieffenbachia plumieri Schott (1852)
Dieffenbachia poeppigii Schott (1856)
Dieffenbachia princeps W.Bull (1882)
Dieffenbachia regina W.Bull ex T.Moore & Mast. (1876)
Dieffenbachia rex W.Bull in Nursery Cat. (William Bull) 193: 13 (1883)
Dieffenbachia robusta K.Koch in Index Seminum (B, Berolinensis) 1853(App.): 15 (1853)
Dieffenbachia seguine subvar. baraquiniana (Verschaff. & Lem.) Engl. (1899)
Dieffenbachia seguine f. baraquiniana (Verschaff. & Lem.) Engl. (1878)
Dieffenbachia seguine f. conspurcata (Schott) Engl. (1878)
Dieffenbachia seguine var. decora (Engl.) Engl. (1915)
Dieffenbachia seguine subvar. decora (Engl.) Engl. (1899)
Dieffenbachia seguine f. decora Engl. (1878)
Dieffenbachia seguine subvar. irrorata (Schott) Engl. (1899)
Dieffenbachia seguine f. irrorata (Schott) Engl. (1878)
Dieffenbachia seguine var. lineata (K.Koch & C.D.Bouché) Engl. (1915)
Dieffenbachia seguine subvar. lineata (K.Koch & C.D.Bouché) Engl. (1899)
Dieffenbachia seguine f. lineata (K.Koch & C.D.Bouché) Engl. (1878)
Dieffenbachia seguine subvar. lingulata (Schott) Engl. (1899)
Dieffenbachia seguine var. lingulata (Schott) Engl. (1878)
Dieffenbachia seguine var. liturata (Schott) Engl. (1915)
Dieffenbachia seguine f. liturata (Schott) Engl. (1878)
Dieffenbachia seguine subvar. liturata (Schott) Engl. (1899)
Dieffenbachia seguine var. maculata (G.Lodd.) E.J.Lowe & W.Howard in Beaut. Leaved Pl.: t. 14 (1860)
Dieffenbachia seguine var. minor Engl. (1899)
Dieffenbachia seguine subvar. nobilis (Engl.) Engl. (1899)
Dieffenbachia seguine f. nobilis Engl. (1878)
Dieffenbachia seguine var. nobilis (Engl.) Engl. (1915)
Dieffenbachia seguine var. robusta (K.Koch) Engl. (1899)
Dieffenbachia seguine f. ventenatiana (Schott) Engl. (1899)
Dieffenbachia seguine var. ventenatiana (Schott) Engl. (1915)
Dieffenbachia seguine subvar. viridis (Engl.) Engl. (1899)
Dieffenbachia seguine var. viridis (Engl.) Engl. (1915)
Dieffenbachia seguine f. viridis Engl. (1878)
Dieffenbachia seguine subvar. wallisii (Linden) Engl. (1915)
Dieffenbachia triumphans W.Bull (1881)
Dieffenbachia variegata Engl. (1879)
Dieffenbachia velutina W.Bull in Nursery Cat. (William Bull) 142: 4 (1877)
Dieffenbachia ventenatiana Schott (1859)
Dieffenbachia verschaffeltii H.Low in Proc. Roy. Hort. Soc. London 3: 280 (1863)
Dieffenbachia vittata W.Bull (1876)
Dieffenbachia wallisii Linden in Cat. Pl. Exot. 22-23: 4 (1869)
Seguinum maculatum (G.Lodd.) Raf. in Fl. Tellur. 3: 67 (1837)
Spathiphyllum pictum W.Bull in Gard. Chron., n.s., 2: 160 (1874)
PUBLICATIONS
Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & Strong, M.T. (2005). Monocotyledons and Gymnosperms of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Contributions from the United States National Herbarium 52: 1-415.
Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & Strong, M.T. (2012). Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 98: 1-1192.
Croat, T. (2004). Revision of Dieffenbachia (Araceae) of Mexico, Central America, and the West Indies. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 91: 668-772.
Figueiredo, E., Paiva, J., Stévart, T., Oliveira, F. & Smith, G.F. (2011). Annotated catalogue of the flowering plants of São Tomé and Príncipe. Bothalia 41: 41-82.
Garcia-Mendoza, A.J. & Meave, J.A. (eds.) (2012). Diversidad florística de Oaxaca: de musgos a angiospermas (colecciones y listas de especies), ed. 2: 1-351. Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.
Govaerts, R. & Frodin, D.G. (2002). World Checklist and Bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae): 1-560. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Hokche, O., Berry, P.E. & Huber, O. (eds.) (2008). Nuevo Catálogo de la Flora Vascular de Venezuela: 1-859. Fundación Instituto Botánico de Venezuela.
Plunkett, G.M., Ranker, T.A., Sam, C. & Balick, M.J. (2022). Towards a checklist of the vascular flora of Vanuatu. Candollea 77: 105-118.
Sarder, N.U. & Hassan, M.A. (eds.) (2018). Vascular flora of Chittagong and the Chittagong Hill Tracts 1: 1-897. Bangladesh National Herbarium, Dhaka.
Sykes, W.R. (2016). Flora of the Cook Islands: 1-973. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Hawaii.
Welsh, S.L. (1998). Flora Societensis: 1-420. E.P.S. Inc. Utah.
VERNACULAR NAME
Bali: Tebu belog
Burmese: အသံတိတ်တုတ် Aasantate tote
Chinese (simplified): 花叶万年青 - 彩叶万年青
Chinese (traditional): 花葉萬年青
Czech: Dieffenbachie pestrá
Danish: Sigøjnerblad
English: Dumbcane, Tuftroot, Dumb-cane, Leopard lily, Dumb cane
Filipino: Pipi na tungkod
Finnish: Täpläkirjovehka
German: Dieffenbachie
Hong Kong: 花葉萬年青
Indonesia: Balanceng, Daun bahagia , Bunga bahagia, Tongkat Keberuntungan
Japanese: カスリソウ
Java: Blanceng, Beras wutah, Sri Rejeki
Khmer: ដំបងបិទសំឡេង Dambng bet saamleng
Lao: ໄມ້ປິດສຽງ Mai pid siang
Lithuanian: Dėmėtoji difenbachija
Macao: 花葉萬年青
Madura: Tebu budhu
Malaysia: Pisang tanah
Melayu: Rotan bisu
Minang: Tungkek bisu
Polish: Difenbachia seguiny
Portuguese: Comigo-ninguém-pode
Russian: Диффенбахия пятнистая
Slovak: Difenbachia škvrnitá
Spanish: Hoja de coche, Hoja elegante blanca, Millonaria, Hoja pinta, Mata puercos, Rábano cimarrón, Rábano ornamental
Sunda: Iteuk bisu
Swedish: Prickblad
Taiwan: 花葉萬年青
Thai: สาวน้อยประแป้ง
Turkish: Difenbahya
Vietnam: Gậy tắt tiếng
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