2026/07/01 by Hui Cao, Dennis B. McConnnell, Jianjun Chen · 1 voice
Medicine · #Acne and Rosacea Treatments and Effects #Kidney Stones and Urolithiasis Treatments #Poisoning and overdose treatments
paper · doi:10.21273/jashs05625-26
openalex publication_date 2026/07/01 · openalex created_date 2026/07/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/10
Dieffenbachia Schott is a widely grown ornamental foliage genus used extensively in interior environments. However, exposure to plant sap can cause skin irritation and inflammation, responses commonly associated with calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystals. Information on the types, densities, and tissue distribution of CaOx crystals in Dieffenbachia remains limited, particularly across leaf and stem developmental stages. The objectives of this study were to characterize the types, densities, and tissue distribution of CaOx crystals in three commercial cultivars, Carina, Rebecca, and Star Bright, and to determine whether crystal occurrence differed among tissues and developmental stages. Tissue-culture liners were grown in an ebb-and-flow system in a shaded greenhouse using the same nutrient solution, and leaves, stems, and spadices were sampled for examination by polarized light microscopy. Three forms of CaOx crystals were identified: raphides, druses, and crystal sand. Raphides and druses were present in leaves, stems, and spadices of all three cultivars, whereas crystal sand occurred only in stems. In leaves, druses greatly outnumbered raphides at all stages, with raphide-to-druse (R/D) ratios ranging from 0.068 to 0.197. Druse density was highest in furled leaves and declined with leaf maturation. In stems, raphides predominated, with R/D ratios ranging from 1.03 to 18.23, whereas druse density increased with internode maturation. Raphide density also increased at sites of axillary bud initiation and in developing male flowers. In spadices, crystals were concentrated primarily in anthers and staminodes. Crystal density differed significantly among cultivars. ‘Star Bright’ had lower stem druse density, whereas ‘Rebecca’ had lower raphide densities in the first and third internodes and lower druse densities in leaves than ‘Carina’. The higher crystal densities observed in young leaves and actively growing tissues suggest that CaOx crystal formation is closely associated with developing organs and may serve multiple functions during plant growth. The observed cultivar differences further suggest that CaOx crystal traits are genetically variable and may be useful targets in future Dieffenbachia breeding programs.