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Raphide
Raphides (pronounced /ˈræfɪˌdiz/, singular raphide /ˈreɪfʌɪd/ or raphis) are needle-shaped crystals of calcium oxalate monohydrate (prismatic monoclinic crystals) or calcium carbonate as aragonite ( dipyramidal orthorhombic crystals), found in more than 200 families of plants. Both ends are needle-like, but raphides tend to be blunt at one end and sharp at the other. Calcium oxalate in plants Many plants accumulate calcium oxalate crystals in response to surplus calcium, which is found throughout the natural environment. The crystals are produced in a variety of shapes. The crystal morphology depends on the taxonomic group of the plant. In one study of over 100 species, it was found that calcium oxalate accounted for 6.3% of plant dry weight. Crystal morphology and the distribution of raphides (in roots or leaves or tubers etc.) is similar in some taxa but different in others leaving possible opportunities for plant key characteristics and systematic identification; m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Idioblast
An idioblast is an isolated plant cell that differs from neighboring tissues. They have various functions such as storage of reserves, excretory materials, pigments, and minerals. They could contain oil, latex, gum, resin, tannin or pigments etc. Some can contain mineral crystals such as acrid tasting and poisonous calcium oxalate or carbonate or silica. Any of the tissue or tissue systems of plants can contain idioblasts. Idioblasts are divided into three main categories: excretory, tracheoid, and sclerenchymatous. Idioblasts can contain biforine cells that form crystals. The chemicals are excreted by the plant and stored in liquid or crystalline form. In bundles they are known as druse and as crystals they can be of raphide eedleform. When the end of an idioblast is broken the crystals or other substance is ejected by internal water pressure. Idioblasts of calcium oxalate may function as a deterrent to herbivores, as a means of sequestering or storing calcium, or as a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alocasia
''Alocasia'' is a genus of rhizomatous or tuberous, broad-leaved, perennial, flowering plants from the family Araceae. There are about 90 accepted species native to tropical and subtropical Asia and eastern Australia. Around the world, many growers widely cultivate a range of hybrids and cultivars as ornamentals. Description The large, cordate or sagittate leaves grow to a length of on long petioles. Their araceous flowers grow at the end of a short stalk, but are not conspicuous; often hidden behind the leaf petioles. The corms of some species can be processed to make them edible, however, the raw plants contain raphid or raphide crystals of calcium oxalate along with other irritants (possibly including proteases) that can numb and swell the tongue and pharynx. This can cause difficulty breathing and sharp pain in the throat. Lower parts of the plant contain the highest concentrations of the poison. Prolonged boiling before serving or processing may reduce risk of adver ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Araceae
The Araceae are a family of monocotyledonous flowering plants in which flowers are borne on a type of inflorescence called a spadix. The spadix is usually accompanied by, and sometimes partially enclosed in, a spathe (or leaf-like bract). Also known as the arum family, members are often colloquially known as aroids. This family of 114 genera and about 3,750 known species is most diverse in the New World tropics, although also distributed in the Old World tropics and northern temperate regions. Description Within the Araceae, species are often rhizomatous or tuberous; many are epiphytic, creeping lianas or vining plants, and the leaves and tissues of the entire plant nearly always contains irritating calcium oxalate crystals or raphides, in varying degrees. The foliage can vary considerably from species to species. The majority of species produce an inflorescence consisting of a spadix (which some compare to a corn cob, in appearance), which is nearly always surr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dieffenbachia
''Dieffenbachia'' , commonly known as dumb cane or leopard lily, is a genus of tropical flowering plants in the family Araceae. It is native to the New World Tropics from Mexico and the West Indies south to Argentina. Some species are widely cultivated as ornamental plants, especially as houseplants, and have become naturalized on a few tropical islands. ''Dieffenbachia'' is a perennial herbaceous plant with straight stem, simple and alternate leaves containing white spots and flecks, making it attractive as indoor foliage. Species in this genus are popular as houseplants because of their tolerance of shade. The English names, dumb cane and mother-in-law's tongue (also used for '' Sansevieria'' species) refer to the poisoning effect of raphides, which can cause temporary inability to speak. ''Dieffenbachia'' was named by Heinrich Wilhelm Schott, director of the Botanical Gardens in Vienna, to honor his head gardener Joseph Dieffenbach (1796–1863). Species The World Checkli ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Colocasia
''Colocasia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae, native to southeastern Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Some species are widely cultivated and naturalized in other tropical and subtropical regions. The names elephant-ear and cocoyam are also used for some other large-leaved genera in the Araceae, notably '' Xanthosoma'' and '' Caladium''. The generic name is derived from the ancient Greek word ''kolokasion'', which in Greek, botanist Dioscorides (1st century AD) may have inferred the edible roots of both ''Colocasia esculenta'' and ''Nelumbo nucifera''. The species ''Colocasia esculenta'' is invasive in wetlands along the American Gulf coast, where it threatens to displace native wetland plants. Description They are herbaceous perennial plants with a large corm on or just below the ground surface. The leaves are large to very large, long, with a sagittate shape. The elephant's-ear plant gets its name from the leaves, which are shaped like a large ear ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Calcium Oxalate
Calcium oxalate (in archaic terminology, oxalate of lime) is a calcium salt of oxalic acid with the chemical formula . It forms hydrates , where ''n'' varies from 1 to 3. Anhydrous and all hydrated forms are colorless or white. The monohydrate occurs naturally as the mineral whewellite, forming envelope-shaped crystals, known in plants as raphides. The two rarer hydrates are dihydrate , which occurs naturally as the mineral weddellite, and trihydrate , which occurs naturally as the mineral caoxite, are also recognized. Some foods have high quantities of calcium oxalates and can produce sores and numbing on ingestion and may even be fatal. Tribes with diets that depend highly on fruits and vegetables high in calcium oxalate, such as in Micronesia, reduce the level of it by boiling and cooking them. They are a constituent in 76% of human kidney stones. Calcium oxalate is also found in beerstone, a scale that forms on containers used in breweries. Occurrence Many plants acc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Epipremnum
''Epipremnum'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae, found in tropical forests from China, the Himalayas, and Southeast Asia to Australia the western Pacific. They are evergreen perennial vines climbing with the aid of aerial roots. They may be confused with other Monstereae such as '' Rhaphidophora'', '' Scindapsus'' and ''Amydrium''. All parts of the plants are toxic, mostly due to trichosclereids (long sharp cells) and raphides. Plants can grow to over with leaves up to long, but in containers the size is much reduced. The plants, commonly known as centipede tongavine, pothos or devil's ivy, depending on species, are typically grown as houseplants in temperate regions. Juvenile leaves are bright green, often with irregularly variegated patterns of yellow or white. They may find host trees by the use of Skototropism. Etymology From the Greek ἐπί (upon) and πρέμνον (stump). Species #'' Epipremnum amplissimum'' (Schott) Engl. - Queenslan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arum
''Arum'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae, native to Europe, northern Africa, and western and central Asia, with the highest species diversity in the Mediterranean region. Frequently called arum lilies, they are not closely related to the true lilies ''Lilium''. Plants in closely related ''Zantedeschia'' are also called "arum lilies". They are rhizomatous, herbaceous perennial plants growing to 20–60 cm tall, with sagittate (arrowhead-shaped) leaves 10–55 cm long. The flowers are produced in a spadix, surrounded by a 10–40 cm long, distinctively coloured spathe, which may be white, yellow, brown, or purple. Some species are scented, others not. The fruit is a cluster of bright orange or red berries. All parts of the plants, including the berries, are poisonous, containing calcium oxalate as raphides. In spite of this, the plant has a history of culinary use among Arab peasants in Palestine who practised leaching the toxins from the plant ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Indian Turnip
''Arisaema triphyllum'', the jack-in-the-pulpit, bog onion, brown dragon or Indian turnip, is a herbaceous perennial plant growing from a corm. It is a highly variable species typically growing in height with three-part leaves and flowers contained in a spadix that is covered by a hood. It is native to eastern North America, occurring in moist woodlands and thickets from Nova Scotia west to Minnesota, and south to southern Florida and Texas. Description The leaves are trifoliate, with groups of three leaves growing together at the top of one long stem produced from a corm; each leaflet is long and broad. Plants are sometimes confused with poison-ivy especially before the flowers appear or non-flowering plants. The inflorescences are shaped irregularly and grow to a length of up to 8 cm. They are greenish-yellow or sometimes fully green with purple or brownish stripes. The spathe, known in this plant as "the pulpit" wraps around and covers over and contain a spadix ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
FDA Poisonous Plant Database
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food safety, tobacco products, caffeine products, dietary supplements, prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceutical drugs (medications), vaccines, biopharmaceuticals, blood transfusions, medical devices, electromagnetic radiation emitting devices (ERED), cosmetics, animal foods & feed and veterinary products. The FDA's primary focus is enforcement of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C), but the agency also enforces other laws, notably Section 361 of the Public Health Service Act, as well as associated regulations. Much of this regulatory-enforcement work is not directly related to food or drugs, but involves such things as regulating lasers, cellular phones, and condoms, as well as control of disease in contexts varying from h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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