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 > > > __________________________________________ > Yahoo! DSL - Something to write home about. > Just $16.99/mo. or less. > dsl.yahoo.com > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php