The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-07-04
A BLOOD SUCKING PLANT.
A Peculiarly Deadly Vine That Grows 1

Peculiarly Deadly Vine That Grows In
the Woods of Nicaragua.
Leroy Dunstan, well known natur-
alist of New Orleans, who has re-
turned from Central America, where he
spent nearly two years in the study of
the fiora 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
engaged in hunting for botanical and
chronological 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 from which the aniamars cries
came, Mr.. Dunstan found him enyel-
oped In perfect network of what
seemed to be fine, rope like tissue of
roots or ibers, the nature of which was
unknown to him.
The plant or vine seemed composed
entirely of bare, interlacing stems, re-
sembling more than anything else the
branches of a weeping willow denuded
OF all foliage, but of a dark, nearly
black hue, and covered with a thick,
viscid gum that e1uded 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 succeeded in severing the fleshy,
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, sinuous fingers about Mr..
Dunstan's hand, and it required no
slight force to free the members from
its clinging clasp, which left the flesh
red and blistered- The gum exuding
from the vine was of a dark grayish
tinge, remarkably adhesive and of a
disagreeable animal odor, very power
full and nauseating to inhale.
The native servants who accompa-
MED Mr.. Dunstan manifested the great
est horror of the vine, which they call
La sagenas de diable-the devils seine.
or snare-and were full of stories of its
death dealing powers. One of these
stories was of an Englishman residing
in Managua, who, while hunting in the
swamp a few years before, lay down
beneath tree where large and pow
erful specimen of this singular plant
was growing, and, inadvertently 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 con-
Wet, who had 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 stor-
les, remarkable 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 probably, 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 a num-
Der of infnitesimal mouths or little
suckers, which, ordinarily closed, open
for the reception of food.-Frank Les
lies MONTHLY.