Indoor plants are a beautiful way to brighten up your home, especially in the gray months of winter.
室内植物是一种使你的家亮丽生色的好方式,尤其是在灰色的冬季。
But there can be a dark side to houseplants if you have children or if children visit your home.
但是,如果你有孩子或孩子来你家做客,室内植物可能也有“阴暗的”一面。
It is important that you know which plants are toxic to young, curious humans.
重要的是,你要知道哪些植物对好奇的年轻人是有毒的。
Gardening expert Jessica Damiano recently wrote about the issue for The Associated Press.
园艺专家杰西卡·达米亚诺最近为美联社撰写了一篇关于这个问题的文章。
She said she often points out houseplants in friends' homes that should be kept out of children's mouths.
她说,她经常指出朋友家里不应该让孩子入嘴的室内植物。
"I don't mind dashing friends' hopes of an Instagram-worthy indoor jungle if it means…preventing harm," Damiano wrote.
达米亚诺写道:“如果能防止伤害,我不介意让朋友们对拥有一个值得在Instagram上分享的室内丛林的希望破灭。”
Kaitlyn Brown works at America's Poison Centers in Arlington, Virginia.
凯特琳·布朗在弗吉尼亚州阿灵顿的美国毒药中心工作。
She told the AP, "We get an average of 33,000 calls a year from people whose kids put different plants in their mouths."
她告诉美联社:“我们平均每年接到3.3万个电话,他们的孩子把不同的植物放进嘴里。”
She added that the cases usually involve children under 3, "because they explore their environment," she said, "and they put everything in their mouths."
她补充说,这些病例通常涉及3岁以下的儿童,“因为他们会探索自己周围的环境,”她说,“他们把所有东西都放进嘴里。”
Most accidental exposures are not serious, Brown said.
布朗说,大多数意外接触并不严重。
But in some cases a child's breathing, skin and eyes can be badly harmed.
但在某些情况下,儿童的呼吸、皮肤和眼睛可能会受到严重伤害。
Damiano wrote that she recently visited her cousin's home and saw a Dieffenbachia plant in the kitchen.
达米亚诺写道,她最近去表妹家,看到厨房里有一株黛粉芋属植株。
Her cousin told her that her young son, who had just begun crawling, had shown interest in the leaves.
她的表妹告诉她,她刚刚开始会爬的小儿子对该植株的叶子很感兴趣。
Damiano had to explain to her cousin that eating a small amount of the plant's stem can cause temporary but severe pain.
达米亚诺不得不向她的表妹解释,吃少量该植物的茎会导致暂时但严重的疼痛。
The plant parts can cause throat and mouth swelling.
该植物部位会导致喉咙和嘴巴肿胀。
The plant's sap can cause nose, skin and eye pain.
这种植物的汁液会导致鼻子、皮肤和眼睛疼痛。
Other plants that can cause similar reactions include: Caladium, flamingo flower, Swiss cheese plant, peace lily, ZZ plant, philodendron and pothos.
其他可能引起类似反应的植物包括:贝母、火鹤花、龟背竹、白鹤芋、金钱树、喜林芋和百足藤。
Amaryllis and its relatives including clivia and daffodil, contain lycorine, a toxic substance that can cause a range of stomach issues.
孤挺花和它的亲缘植物,包括君子兰和水仙花,都含有石蒜碱,这是一种可能会导致一系列胃部问题的有毒物质。
Damiano wrote that parents should teach their young children not to put non-food plant parts into their mouths.
达米亚诺写道,父母应该教育年幼的孩子不要把植物的非食用部分放进嘴里。
Parents should also educate themselves, she said.
她说,父母也应该自我教育。
She urges parents to research whether the plants in their homes are safe to grow around children.
她敦促父母研究家里的植物生长在孩子周围是否安全。
She also suggests learning the official botanical names of any houseplants so that they are able to provide that information quickly to a poison control expert, if needed.
她还建议家长了解室内植物的官方植物学名,以便在需要时能够迅速向毒物控制专家提供信息。
Not all houseplants are problematic, of course.
当然,并不是所有的室内植物都有问题。
Spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum) are nontoxic and are also among the easiest indoor plants to grow.
吊兰无毒,也是最容易种植的室内植物之一。
African violets, Boston ferns, Christmas cactus, waxplants, parlor palms, radiator plants, prayer plants and baby's tears are other safe choices.
非洲堇、波士顿蕨、蟹爪兰、球兰、袖珍椰、蔓性椒草、巴西条纹竹芋和绿珠草都是安全之选。
I'm Ashley Thompson.
阿什利·汤普森为您播报。
译文为可可英语翻译,未经授权请勿转载!