The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-06-10
A BLOOD SUCKING PLANT
a Peculiarly Deadly Vine That Crows in
tir Nnn,ls of .iicar;i,.nn.

a Peculiarly Deadly Vinc That Crows in
the Woods of Nicaragua.
Leroy Dunstan, u well known natur-
alist OF New Orleans. who has re-
turned from Central America, where lie
spent nearly two years in the study OF
the fora and fauna OF the country, re-
lates the finding of Il 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 Se5astian's,
when lie heard his dog CRY out rs il in
agony, from distance. Running 10
the spot from which the aniaIlals cries
came, Mr.. Dunstan found him enyel-
oped in II perfect network Of what
seemed to be Il fine. rope like tissue OF
roots or fibcrS, the nature OF which was
unknown to linn.
The plant or vine seemed composed
entirely of bare, interlacing stems, re-
sembling more than anything else the
branches of weeping willow denuded
of all foliage, but OF 4 dark, nearly
black hue, and covered with q thick,
viscid gum that cxuded from the pores.
Drawing his knife, III. nunstan en-
deavored TO cut the animal free, but it
was only with the greatest difficulty
that he succeeded in severing the ileshy,
muscular fiber 70 his horror and
amazelnent thenatur2list then saw that
tho dogs body was covered with blood,
while his hairless skin appeared to lave
been actually sucked or puc!lered in
spots and the animal staggered as If
from weakness aad exhaustion.
In cutting the vine the twigs CURED
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 q dark grayish
tinge, remarkably adhesive and of q
disagreeable animal odor, very power
full and nauseating to inhalc.
The native servants who accompa-
MED Mr. Dunstan manifested the great
est horror of the vine, which they cal
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 few years before, lay dowr
beneath tree where a large and pow
erful specimen of this singular plant
was growing, and, inadvertently falline
asleep, awoke to find himself envelopee
in its web, and, in spite Of every effor
made to extricate him, persisted in it
deadly embrace.
Another story was of an escaped con
vict, who had hidden in the swamp
and whose bones had been found in tn
folds of the sagenas only short tim
before Mr.. Dunstan's visit These stor
les, remarkable as they may seem, ar
firmly be!i@ye1 in by the people, bu
tie only three specimens which MI
! Dunstan was able to find were al
small ones, though the meshes Of tn
i largest would probably, if extended Il
q straight line, measure nearly, if no
quite, 100 feet.
He was able to discover very httl
/ about the nature of the plant, owing t
| the difficulty of handling it, for ii
/ grasp can only be torn away with los
( of skin, and even of flesh; but as nea
+ as Mr.. Dunstan could ascertain, il
| power of suction is contained in a nun
4 bes of infnitesi1nal mouths or lit
L suckers, which, ordinarily closed, ope
Y fbr the reception OF food Frank LIE
sisgH smhfiiy.