St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-03-29
A METAL EATING PLANT,
One OF the Stanley Expedition Makes
the Discovery.

one OF the Stanley Expedition Makes
the Discovery.
FIRE WILL NOT CONSUME IT-GooD FOR
FENCEs-AFRIrA ADDS PHENOMENON
TO THE VEGETABLE WORLD WHICH
WILL BE OF GREAT COMMERCIAL VALUE.
Professor Schelwisch, the we'll known
naturalist OF Bavaria, while travelling with
Inc Stanley expedition, in the heart of
AFRICA tor the purpose of studying the
nora and fauna of the dark continent, was
the hrst white man to discover this strange
plant.
One day while resting at a small village
near the foot of Mount Milosis, in the u IN
Dopo region, Professor Schelwisch noticed
peculiar steel-colored foliage, and ON ex-
animation it was found that the shrub.
although growing like other plants from
the soil, was practically composed of iron.
The leaves, though very thin, were bent
with great difficulty, and the twigs and
branches resisted pressure with a force
! about equal to the same amount of iron,
and to secure leaf it was found to be
necessary to separate it from the bush with
file.
While Prof. Schelwisch was digging at
the base of this plant for the parpose of
making an examination of it's roots, the
natives crowded around him in great
numbers, gesticulating in menacng
manner. The professor desisted from his
work and theSkinterpreter was sent for
He explained that this was a holy tree
| and worshlpped by the natives in their fe-
itch religion as God plant, and that to
dig one up would bring ruin and desola-
ton upon the whole village and surround
ing country.
Prof. Schelwisch offered to buy the
plant, and, taking out handful of COP
per coins, gave them to tie savages, who
gladly accepted the money and distributed
it among themselves The professor then
returned to the work of digging up the
unique plant, but had not made any great
prog ress when the natives again set upon
him. Through the interpreter the professor
! informed them that he had legally bought
the plant and intended to remove it, As
soon asthe message was made known to
the savages every one who lad received a
coin came and dropped it in the hole at the
base of the shrub. Prof. ScLelwisch al
lowed the coins to remain in the hole and
walked away toward the mountain to hunt
another specimen.
Next day, as the party were preparing
to continue the march, the professor was
curious to know if the coins had remained
undisturbed during the night by tho SUI
perstitious natives, and on approaching
the metal plant was astonished to ind it
had changed its color completely. Instead
of being beautiful steel color, the stem,
leaves and what was exposed of the ROOFS
presented the appearance of newly coined
copper coins and glittered in the morning
cupIipbt liko po}iS o5 co11 CTpon cvop,
nation it was ascertaned that during the
night the strange plant had absorbed
nearly all the copper coins, with the result
of completely changing it's color. What
was left of the coins in the hole showed
that they were more than half eaten away
or absorbed by the roots of the metal
plant. Not only was the color changed,
but the texture of the plant had undergone
a similar transformation. 1t was found
that the thin ivy shaped leaves were now
easily bent around the fingers, would re-
tain any shape given them and could be
readily cut with an ordinary pair of scis-
sors.
Professor Schelwisch succeeded in sur
reptitiously securing branch of this won
derful metal eating plant, and was also
successful, in obtaining good pho ogrsph
of it. No further trace OF the existence of
the metal plant was found until the expe-
dition reached the Uniamesi country, when
at the base of the Nkomabakosi mountains
perfect forest of this curious plant was
found. This being an uninhabited region
no difficulty was experienced in securing
specimens to take back to England.
While in this locality, ample opportu-
nifty as afforded the members of the ex-
petition to make an exhaustive study of
the habits and peculiarities of this most
remarkable of all species of the vegetable
kingdom. By series of carefully con-
Quoted experiments, it was found that this
plant would feed on any kind of metal
placed at its roots, and in a few days take
on the characteristics of that metal, and in
the case of the softer metals often but
few hours were needed to effect COM
plete metamorphosis of it's fiber and color.
Being curious to know how fire would
affect growing plant of this species, pre-
parations were made for the test. Large
quantities of seasoned wood were procured
and piled in long row covering about
thirty of the metal plants and fire kin
died at the windward end. Stanley and
his entire party watched the experiment
and had the satisfaction O. demonstrating
that, beyond the blackening of the foliage
metal plant had been subjected, had done
no harm to the plant itself. At the expir-
alton of week it was found that the rain
had removed nearly all traces of the fire
and the plants were apparently as healthy
as ever.
The roots present peculiaritiesn not found
in other plants. They branch out from
the trunk on all sides like vine, and are
usually from six to eight inches beneath
the surface of the soil. Regularly at every
seven or eight inches, the root branches.
and at this juncture grows peculiar pair
of round, slightly conceived discs, hinged
together like the shells of clam at tie
point of juncture with the root These
discs leave their convex sides outward and
usually remain above half open until they
encounter metal or metal ore, when they
gradually close around it and a process.
supposed to be similar to electro plating,
goes on, the metal being rapidly absorbed
by the plant. -Philadezphaa Times