Caladium bicolor

Caladium bicolor, called Heart of Jesus, is a species in the genus Caladium from Latin America. It is grown as a houseplant for its large, heart or lance-shaped leaves with striking green, white, pink, and red blotching. Hundreds of cultivars are available. (See List of Caladium cultivars.) It can be planted outside in USDA Hardiness Zone 10 as an ornamental. It is a problematic invasive species in Trinidad and Tobago, Guam, Micronesia, Palau, Hawaii and the Philippines, and naturalized populations can be found in most of the rest of the world's tropics, including Africa, the Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia and Malesia.^[3]

Caladium bicolor
Caladium bicolor 'Florida Sweetheart'
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Alismatales
Family:	Araceae
Subfamily:	Aroideae
Tribe:	Caladieae
Genus:	Caladium
Species:	C. bicolor
Binomial name
Caladium bicolor (Aiton) Vent.[1]
Synonyms[2]
List Alocasia rex N.E.Br. [Invalid] Alocasia roezlii N.E.Br. Arum bicolor Aiton Arum pellucidum Fulchir ex Kunth [Invalid] Arum pulchrum Salisb. Arum vermitoxicum Vell. Arum vermitoxicum Vell. ex Kunth Caladium albopunctatissimum Jacob-Makoy ex H.Karst. Caladium amoenum Engl. Caladium appunianum Engl. [Invalid] Caladium argyrospilum Lem. Caladium barraquinii Hérincq Caladium barraquinii Lem. Caladium bicolor var. albomaculatum Engl. Caladium bicolor var. argyrospilum (Lem.) Engl. Caladium bicolor f. argyrospilum (Lem.) Engl. Caladium bicolor f. argyrospilum (Lem.) Vent. Caladium bicolor var. barraquinii (Hérincq) Engl. Caladium bicolor f. barraquinii (Hérincq) Engl. Caladium bicolor var. bohemicum Engl. Caladium bicolor var. brongniartii (Lem.) Engl. Caladium bicolor f. brongniartii (Lem.) Engl. Caladium bicolor f. brongniartii (Lem.) Vent. Caladium bicolor var. chantinii (Lem.) Engl. Caladium bicolor f. chantinii (Lem.) Engl. Caladium bicolor f. chantinii (Lem.) Vent. Caladium bicolor var. curwadlii Engl. Caladium bicolor var. devosianum (Lem.) Engl. Caladium bicolor f. devosianum (Lem.) Engl. Caladium bicolor f. devosianum (Lem.) Vent. Caladium bicolor var. duchartrei Engl. Caladium bicolor var. eckhartii Engl. Caladium bicolor var. enkeanum (K.Koch) Engl. Caladium bicolor var. haematostigma Kunth Caladium bicolor f. haematostigma (Kunth) Engl. Caladium bicolor var. hendersonii Engl. Caladium bicolor var. houbyanym Engl. Caladium bicolor var. houlletii (Lem.) Engl. Caladium bicolor var. ketteleri Engl. Caladium bicolor var. kochii Engl. Caladium bicolor var. kramerianum Engl. Caladium bicolor var. laucheanum (K.Koch) Engl. Caladium bicolor var. leopoldii Engl. Caladium bicolor var. lindenii Engl. Caladium bicolor var. macrophyllum (Lem.) Engl. Caladium bicolor f. macrophyllum (Lem.) Engl. Caladium bicolor f. macrophyllum (Lem.) Vent. Caladium bicolor var. marginatum (K.Koch & C.D.Bouché) Engl. Caladium bicolor var. mirabile (Lem.) Engl. Caladium bicolor f. mirabile (Lem.) Engl. Caladium bicolor f. mirabile (Lem.) Vent. Caladium bicolor var. neumannii (Lem.) Engl. Caladium bicolor f. neumannii (Lem.) Engl. Caladium bicolor f. neumannii (Lem.) Vent. Caladium bicolor var. pellucidum (DC.) Kunth Caladium bicolor var. pellucidum (DC.) Engl. Caladium bicolor var. perrieri (Lem.) Engl. Caladium bicolor f. perrieri (Lem.) Engl. Caladium bicolor f. perrieri (Lem.) Vent. Caladium bicolor var. pictum (DC.) Kunth Caladium bicolor var. poecile (Schott) Engl. Caladium bicolor f. poecile (Schott) Engl. Caladium bicolor var. regale (Lem.) Engl. Caladium bicolor f. regale (Lem.) Engl. Caladium bicolor f. regale (Lem.) Vent. Caladium bicolor f. robustum Jonker Caladium bicolor var. roseomaculatum Engl. Caladium bicolor var. rubellum (K.Koch & Fint.) Engl. Caladium bicolor var. rubicundum Engl. Caladium bicolor f. rubicundum Stehlé Caladium bicolor var. rubrivenium Engl. Caladium bicolor var. sieboldii Engl. Caladium bicolor var. splendens (K.Koch & Fint.) Engl. Caladium bicolor f. splendens (K.Koch & Fint.) Engl. Caladium bicolor var. stangeanum (K.Koch) Engl. Caladium bicolor var. surinamense (Miq.) Engl. Caladium bicolor f. surinamense (Miq.) Stehlé Caladium bicolor var. transparens Engl. Caladium bicolor var. vellozoanum (Schott) Engl. Caladium bicolor f. vellozoanum (Schott) Engl. Caladium bicolor var. vermitoxicum (Vell.) Stellfeld Caladium bicolor var. verschaffeltii (Lem.) Engl. Caladium bicolor f. verschaffeltii (Lem.) Engl. Caladium bicolor f. verschaffeltii (Lem.) Vent. Caladium bicolor var. wightii (Lem.) Engl. Caladium bicolor f. wightii (Lem.) Engl. Caladium brongniartii Lem. Caladium chantinii Lem. Caladium concolor K.Koch Caladium connaertii Engl. Caladium curwadlii Engl. Caladium devosianum Lem. Caladium discolor Engl. Caladium duchartrei Engl. Caladium dussii Sieber & Voss Caladium eckhartii Lem. ex Engl. Caladium enkeanum K.Koch Caladium firmulum Schott Caladium gaerdtii K.Koch & Fint. Caladium griseoargenteum Engl. Caladium haageanum K.Koch Caladium haematostigma Kunth Caladium hendersonii Engl. Caladium hortulanum Bridsey Caladium × hortulanum Birdsey Caladium houbyanum Engl. Caladium houlletii Lem. Caladium jacquinii Ten. Caladium ketteleri Engl. Caladium kochii K.Koch Caladium kramerianum Engl. Caladium laucheanum K.Koch Caladium leopoldii Engl. Caladium lindenii Engl. [Invalid] Caladium macrophyllum Lem. Caladium marginatum K.Koch & C.D.Bouché Caladium marmoratum Mathieu ex K.Koch Caladium martersteigianum Engl. Caladium medioradiatum L.Linden & Rodigas Caladium mirabile Lem. Caladium mooreanum Engl. Caladium neumannii Lem. Caladium ottonis Engl. [Invalid] Caladium pallidinervium Engl. Caladium pallidum K.Koch & C.D.Bouché Caladium pellucidum DC. Caladium perrieri Lem. Caladium pictum DC. Caladium poecile Schott Caladium punctatissimum Engl. Caladium purdieanum Schott Caladium pusillum K.Koch Caladium regale Lem. Caladium reichenbachianum Stange ex Engl. Caladium rougieri Verschaff. Caladium rubellum K.Koch & Fint. Caladium rubricaule Lem. Caladium rubrovenium Engl. Caladium sagittifolium Sieber ex Engl. Caladium sieboldii Engl. [Invalid] Caladium sororium Schott Caladium splendens K.Koch & Fint. Caladium spruceanum Schott Caladium stangeanum K.Koch Caladium steudneriifolium Engl. Caladium surinamense Miq. Caladium thelemannii Verschaff. Caladium thripedestum Lem. Caladium vellozoanum Schott Caladium verschaffeltii Lem. Caladium wagneri Engl. Caladium wightii Lem. Cyrtospadix bicolor (Aiton) Britton & P.Wilson

Toxicity

C. bicolor contains calcium oxalate crystals, making all parts of the plant poisonous to humans, livestock, and pets. Sap coming in contact with the skin may cause skin irritation. Ingestion may cause burning and swelling of the lips, mouth, and tongue, as well as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.^[4][5] If a pet consumes caladium, in addition to vomiting, etc., the symptoms include drooling, pawing at mouth or face, and decreased appetite.^[6]

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References

1. Mag. Encycl. 4(16):464. [22 Dec 1800-21 Jan] 1801 (Descr. pl. nouv. ad t. 30. 1801 Mar)
2. "Caladium bicolor (Aiton) Vent". The Plant List.
3. "Caladium bicolor (heart of Jesus)". Invasive Species Compendium. CAB International. 8 June 2020. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
4. "Caladium bicolor (Angel Wings, Caladium, Candidum, Elephant's Ears, Exposition, Fancy-leaved Caladium, Malanga, Mother-in-law Plant, Pai, Pink Cloud, Stoplight, Taro, Texas Wonder, Via, Via sori) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox". plants.ces.ncsu.edu. Retrieved 2021-02-18.
5. "Angel's wings (Caladium)". Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
6. "Caladium". Pet poison helpline. Retrieved 18 February 2021.