dieffenbachia

dieffenbachiaspotted dumb caneDieffenbachia seguine

dief·fen·bach·i·a

D0211400 (dē′fən-bä′kē-ə, -băk′ē-ə)n. Any of several plants of the genus Dieffenbachia native to tropical America, having stout, jointed stems and large, variegated leaves and widely cultivated as an indoor plant. Also called dumb cane.

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[New Latin, genus name, after Ernst Dieffenbach (1811-1855), German naturalist.]

dieffenbachia

(ˌdiːfənˈbækɪə) n (Plants) any plant of the tropical American evergreen perennial genus Dieffenbachia, some species of which are grown as pot plants for their handsome variegated foliage. The plants are poisonous and the sap is extremely acrid: family Araceae[named after Ernst Dieffenbach (died 1855), German horticulturist]

dief•fen•bach•i•a

(ˌdi fənˈbæk i ə, -ˈbɑ ki ə)

n., pl. -bach•i•as. any tropical American plant of the genus Dieffenbachia, of the arum family, often cultivated as houseplants for their decorative foliage. [< New Latin (1829), after Ernst Dieffenbach (1811–55), German naturalist; see -ia]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

Dieffenbachia - evergreen perennial herbs of tropical America with lush foliage and poisonous sap; often cultivated as houseplantsgenus Dieffenbachialiliopsid genus, monocot genus - genus of flowering plants having a single cotyledon (embryonic leaf) in the seedAraceae, arum family, family Araceae - anthurium; calla lily; jack-in-the-pulpit; philodendronDieffenbachia sequine, dumb cane, mother-in-law plant, mother-in-law's tongue - an evergreen plant with large showy dark green leaves; contains a poison that swells the tongue and throat hence the name