In Belize we were introduced to Chaya. I have eaten it raw, or lightly cooked. I understand that the Ketchi Indians and in some parts of Mexico they do the same. On checking on the internet, I found that it is considered poisonous if not boiled for 10 minutes. I have seen some of the pictures and descriptions of "Cnidoscolus chayamansa". Most of the pictures and for the most part all descriptions are not the same as the chaya I have in the Tampa area of Florida. The differences are that it is apparently not highly toxic (at least not to me), I have never seen it flower, and there are no spines. Further, the leaf appearance is very different from most of the pictures I’ve seen. The plant I have is very leafy, good shade tree plant with: A simple leaf with 3 large lobes (much more like a Maple leaf with almost equal lobes & not tending toward palmate). Each lobe has a mid rib vein, with the side mid ribs having a small rib below It needs little water, it is easy to break but grows quickly(can grow 5-6 feet in a good summer). When you pull off a leaf it exudes a white resin like substance. Is it possible that this plant I now have in Tampa is a different sub family or genus from the "Cnidoscolus chayamansa"?? Thanks, Ken Altreuter
