Wichita eagle., 1890-01-23
A 6lOoO SUCKING PLANT.
Strange Vegetable Growth Found In Ger
trail American SwampS-


Strange Vegetable Growth Found in Gen.
trail American swamps.
Leroy Dunstan, the well Known naturalist
Of this city, who has recently returned from
Central America, where he mad 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-
mological specimens In this swamp, which is
known as San Sebastlanis, when he heard his
dog cry out as If in agony from a distance.
Running 10 the spot Dunstan found him
enveloped in a perfect network Of what
seemed to be fine. ropelike tissue Of roots
or fbers, the nature of which was unknown
to him
The plant or vine seemed composed en-
tirely of bare, interlacing stems, resembling
more than anything else the branches Of the
weeping willow denuded Of ali foliage, but
Of dark, nearly black hue, and covered with
thick, viscid gum that exuded from the
pores Drawing his knife, Mr.. Dunstsn
deavored 10 cut the animal free, but IL was
only with the greatest difficulty that be sue
ceeded IN severing the feshy, muscular dber.
To his horror and arnazerneat the naturalist
then saw that the dogs body was covered
with blood, while his hairless skin appeared
to have been actually sucked or puekered IN
spots, and the animal staggered as If from
weakness and exhaustion.
In cutting the vine the twigs curled like
living, sinuo1s 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 grayissi,
dark tinge, remarkably adhesive and of a
disagreeabie animal odor, very powerful and
nauseating TO inhale.
The native servants who accompanied Mr..
Dunssan manifested the grestest horror OF
the vine which they call la sagenas de dia-
bic" the devils seine, or snare, and were full
of stories of its death dealing powers One
of these stories was OF an Engitshman resid-
ing in Managua. who, while hunting In the
swamp a few years before, lay down beneath
a tree where a large and powerful specimen
of this singular plant was growing. and, In
advertently falling asleep. awo.ss to find
himself enveloped In Its web, and in spite of
every effort made to extricate him perished
In is deadly embrace.
Another story was Of an escaped convict
bones had been found liz the folds Of the
sagenas only short time before Mr.. Dun
STAINS visit These stores, remarkable as they
may seem, are firmly believed in by the peo-
pie, but the only three specimens which Efr.
Dunstan was able To find were ali small ones,
though the meshes Of the largest would prob
ably, If extended in a straight line, rnessar.
nearly, if not quite, 100 fest. He was able to
discover very little about the nature Of the
plant, owing TO the difficulty Of handling n,
for its grasp can only be torn away with Lose
Of skin and even Of flesh, bat, as near as Mr..
Dunssan could ascertain, its power Of sscsion
is contained in . number Of iufinffxsarnsi
mouths or hsJie suckers, which, ordinarily
closed, open for the reception OF food
The gum exuded seems To serve the two
fold purpose of increasing its senscity and Of
overcoming victim by il slcksrring odor
The plant Is found only in low, vet places,
and usually beneath large tpee, ADD vfsils
dormant seems only . network Of dry, dad
vines covering the black earth for several
feet, but coming into contact with anything
viii instantly begin To e~ist and ty4ne up
ward in a horrible, hfszIks rnaun1. breakfng
out with the gI1n,lixe subx.ancesysIken Of be-
fore, and enwrap to object with q o4eTity
that Is almost Incredible
IL the substances Is animal the tiood b
drawn OF and the carcass or refuse thss
dropped. A lump Of rs~ rscat beng tarown
it, IN the short tune Of fTe minutes shs blood
viii be thoroughly drunk of And tie nsass
thrown asi.ie. It's voracity - almost t~yond
belief. i: 6evoETiszz a. enc tame over tn
pounds Of meat, though il may b- deS<isst
ef ali food fer weesEs w1fhozt any aFsArsut
loss os vitality. Mr.. Dszssan &ts~zzp.od %
bring away a roo. Ct the zzSerzzz, h9s Il died
during bIs rgt-rn ToyaEe. growing % foal
with strong oder Of RAJ ANIMAL corruption
that be was obliged % gst nc a it,--L>ss.r
In Pnlsdslphia Tines