While looking at the poinsettia, I accidentally broke off a stem and white milky sap started to pour out. I decided to take a look under the microscope and here are the results.
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poinsettia milky sap liquid in the stem 40X
While
I knew that trees and other plants were also able to excrete sap, I wondered if
this sticky substance was really poisonous or not. I did some research and it
turns out, this sap is called Latex sap. While it isn't highly poisonous, it
should be avoided by people who have allergies against latex for it could cause
itching in your dermatitis and in severe conditions, can result to hives and
dizziness.
*Latex
sap can lead to vomiting when eaten but effects aren't generally fatal so don't
panic if you somehow swallowed some or the flower as a whole*
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poinsettia milky sap liquid in the
stem 100X
Now, the sap is milky fluid found in
about 10% of plants (angiosperms)
and is a mixed combination of
proteins, starches, sugars, oils, etc. which coagulate (change to a solid or
semi solid state) when exposed to air which is why it becomes sticky and
hard to come off
when you touch it.
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poinsettia
milky sap liquid in the stem 100X
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