Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-01-24
A BLOOD SUCKING PLANT.
Strange Vegetable Growth Found in Ger
trail American Swamps.

Strange Vegetable Growth Found in Cen
trail American Swamps.
Leroy Dunstan, the well known naturalist
of this city, who has recently returned from
Central America, where he had spent nearly
two years in the study of the fora and fauna
of the country, relates the finding of singu-
lar growth in one of the swamps which sur
round the great lake of Nicaragua. He was
engaged in hunting for botanical and ento-
biological specimens in this swamp, which is
known as San Sebastian's, when he heard his
dog cry out as if in agony from distance.
Running to the spot Dunstan found him
enveloped in perfect network of what
seemed to be fine, ropelike tissue of roots
or fibers, the nature of which was unknown
to him.
The plant or vine seemed composed en-
tirely of bare, interlacing stems, resembling
more than any thing else the branches of the
weeping willow denuded of all foliage, but
of dark, nearly black hue, and covered with
a thick, viscid gum that exuded from the
pores Drawing his knife, Mr.. Dunstan en-
deavored to cut the animal free, but it was
only with the greatest difficulty that he sue
ceeded in severing the feshy, muscular fiber.
To his horror and amazement the naturalist
then saw that the dogs body was covered
with blood, while his hairless skin appeared
to have been actually sucked OR puckered in
spots, and the animal staggered as if from
weakness and exhaustion
In cutting the vine the twigs curled like
living, snuous fingers about Mr.. Dunstan's
hand, and it required no small force to free
the member from its clinging clasp, which
left the flesh red and blistered. The gum
exuding from the vine was of grayish,
dark tinge, remarkably adhesive and Of
disagreeable animal odor, very powerful and
nauseating to inhale.
The native servants who accompanied Mr..
Dunstan manifested the greatest horror of
the vine which they cali ''la sagenas de dia-
BILE" the DEVILS seine, OF snare, and were full
Of stories Of its death dealing powers. One
Of these stories was of an Engiishman resid-
ing in Managua, who, while hunting in the
swamp a few years before, lay down beneath
tree where large and powerful specimen
of this singular plant was growing, and, in
advertently falling asleep, awoke to find
himself enveloped in its web, and in spite of
every effort made to extricate him persisted
in its deadly embrace.
Another story was of an escaped convict
who had hidden in the swamp, and whose
bones had been found in the folds of the
sagenas only short time before Mr. Dun
STAINS visit. These stories, remarkable as they
may seem, are firmly believed in by the peo-
pie, but the only three specimens which Mr..
Dunstan was able to find were all small ones,
though the meshes of the largest would prob
ably, if extended in straight line, measure
nearly, if not quite, 100 feet He was able to
discover very little about the nature of the
plant, owing to the difficulty of handling it,
for its grasp can only be torn away with loss
of skin and even of flesh, but, as near as Mr..
Dunstan could ascertain, its power of suction
is contained in number of infinitesimal
mouths or little suckers, which, ordinarily
closed, open for the reception of food.
The gum exuded seems to serve the two
fold purpose Of increasing its tenacity and of
overcoming victim by its sickening odor.
The plant is found only in low, wet places,
and usually beneath large tree, and while
dormant seems only network of dry, dead
vines covering the black earth for several
feet, but coming into contact with anything
will instantly begin to twist and Irvine up
ward in horrible, lifelike manner, breaking
out with the gumlike substance spoken of be-
fore, and enwrap the object with a celebrity
that is almost incredible.
If the substance is animal the blood is
drawn off and the carcass or refuse then
dropped. A lump of raw meat being thrown
it, in the short time Of five minutes the blood
gill be thoroughly drunk off and the mass
thrown aside. Its voracity is almost beyond
belief, it devouring at one time over ten
pounds of meat, though it may be deprived
of all food for weeks without any apparent
loss Of vitality. Mr.. Dunstan attempted to
bring away root of the sagenas, but it died
L..
with strong odor of real animal corruption
that he was obliged to get rid of it.-Letter
in Philadelphia Times.