The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1890-02-05
A BLOODSUCKING PLANT.
A HORRIBLE VEGETABLE GROWTH
OF CENTRAL AMERICA.

Subsisting on Animal Blood-Its VO-
racious Appetite-Devouring Ten
Pounds of Flesh in Five Minutes.
Leroy Dunstsn, the well known natur-
alist of Philadelphia, SAYS the Times of
that 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, re-
lates the finding of a singular growth in
one of the swamps which surround the
great lake of Nicaragua. He was EN-.
gagged in hunting for botanical and en-
tomological specimens in this swamp,
which is known as San Sebastian's, when
he heard his dog cry out as if iu agony
from distance. Running to the spot
from which the animals cries came, Mr..
Dunstan found him enveloped in per-
feet network of what seemed to be fine,
rope-like tissue of roots or hbres, the
nature of which was unknown TO him.
The plant or vine seemed composed en-
tirely of bare, interlaclng stems, resem
bling more than anything else the branches
of the weeping willow denuded of all
foliage, but of dark, nearly black hue,
aud covered with thick, viscd gum that
exuded from the pores. Drawing his
knife, Mr.. Dunstan endeavored to cut the
animal free, but it was only with the
greatest difficulty that he succeeded in
severing the feshy, muscular fibre. To
his horror and amazement the naturalist
then saw that the dogs body was covered
with blood, while his hairless skin ap-
pcared to have been actually sucked OF
puckered in spots, and the animal stag
gcred as if from weakness and exhaus
tion.
In cutting the vine the twigs curled
like living, sinuous fingers about Mr..
Duustan's hand, and it required no slight
force to free the member from It's cling
ing clasp, which left the flesh red and
blistered. The gum exuding from the
vine was of grayish dark tinge, remark
ably adhesive and of disagreeable ami
NAL odor, very powerful and nauseating
to inhale.
The native servants who accompanied
Mr.. Dunstan manifested the greatest
horror of the vine which they call 'ia
sagenas dc diable," the devils seine, Oh
snare, and were full of stories of its
dcath-dealing powers. One of these
was of an Englishman residing in Mana
qua, who, while hunting in the swamp q
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 envcloped in its web, and in
spite of every effort made to eXtricate
him, perishcd in its deadly embrace.
Another story was of an escaped con-
vict who was hidden in the swamp, and
whose bones had been found in the folds
of the sagenas only short time before
Mr.. Dunstan's visit. These stories, re-
marlablc as they may seem, are firmly
believed in by the people, 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 q straight line,
measure nearly, if not quite, one hun
dred 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 num-
Der of intinitesimal mouths or little suck
ers, which, ordinarily closed, open for
the reception of food.
The gum exuded seems to serve the
two-fold purpose of increasing its tena-
city and of overcoming victim by its
sickening odor. The plant is found onl,
in low, wet places, and usually beneath {
large tree, and while dormant seems only
a network of dry, dead vines covering
the black earth for several feet, but com.
ing into contact with anything will in
stantly begin to twist and twine upward
in o horrible, life-like manner, breaking
out with the gum-like substance spoken
of before, and enwrap the object with a
celerity 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 min
utes the blood will be thoroughly drunk
off and the mass thrown aside. Its vora-
city 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 apparent loss of vitality.
MIR. Dunstan attempted to bring away IA
root of the sagenas, but it died during
his return voyage, growing SO foul with Il
strong odor of real animal corruption
that he was obliged to get rid of it.