Candelabra-cactus
General poisoning notes:
Candelabra-cactus
(Euphorbia lactea) is an indoor ornamental plant. The latex (juice) of
the plant contains an intense irritant that causes problems when the latex
comes in contact with mucous membranes and eyes. Severe eye problems have also
been experimentally produced in dogs. Ingestion should be avoided by children
and family pets.
Nomenclature:
Scientific Name: Euphorbia lactea Haw.
Vernacular
name(s): candelabra-cactus
Scientific family
name: Euphorbiaceae
Vernacular family
name: spurge
Geographic Information
Plant or plant
parts used in or around the home.
Toxic parts:
Latex
Animals/Human Poisoning:
Note: When an
animal is listed without additional information, the literature (as of 1993)
contained no detailed explanation.
Humans
General symptoms of
poisoning:
Keratoconjunctivitis
Notes on poisoning:
The milky sap of
candelabra-cactus contains an irritant that can cause intense burning and
keratoconjunctivitis if a drop gets into the eyes. In one case, a man felt
intense pain in his eye followed by mild conjunctival hyperemia and punctate
staining of the cornea. Within 24 h the patient had copious mucous discharge,
marked conjunctival edema, swollen lids, and severe pain in the eye. A few days
later the eye began to heal, with complete recovery after a couple of weeks.
Experiments on dogs resulted in similar symptoms, with eventual clearing of the
eyes (Crowder and Sexton 1964).
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