Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1890-01-31
A Blood-Sucking Plant.

Leroy Dunstan. the well-known
naturalist of New Orleans, who has
recently returned from Central Amer
lea, where he had spent nearly two
years in the study Of the fora and
fauna of the country, relates the
finding of singular growth in one Of
/ the swamps which surround the
great lake of Nicaragua. He was en-
gagged in hunting for botanical and
chronological specimens in this
swamp, which is known As San Sc
bastian's, when he heard his dog
cry out as if in agony from dis
tance. Running TO the spot from
which the animals cry came. Mr..
Dunstan found him enveloped in a
perfect network OF what seemed TO be
fine, rope-like tissue of roots or a.
bres, the nature OF which was un-
known To him.
The plant or vine seemed composed
entirely OF bare. interlacing stems, re-
sembling more than anything else
the branches OF the weeping willow
denuded Of all foliage, but OF a dark.
nearly black hue, and covered with "a
thick, viscid gum that eIuded from
the pores. Drawing his knife. Mr.
Dunstan endeavored To cut the ami.
NAL free, but il was only with tire
greatest difficulty that he succeeded
in severing the fleshy, muscular fibre.
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 IL
from weakness and exhaustion.
In cutting the vine the twigs curled
like living, sinuous fingers about Mr..
Dunstan's hand, and required no
slight force to free the member from
its clinging grasp, which left the flesh
red and blistered The gum exuding
from the vine was OF a grayish dark
tinge, remarkably adhesive and OF n
disagreeable animal odor, very pow
erful and nauseating To inhale.
The native servants who accom-.
panied Mr.. Dunstan manifested the
greatest 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 English.
man residing in Managua, who, while
hunting in the swamp few years be
fore, lay down beneath tree where
large and powerful specimen Of this
singular plant was growing, and, In
advertently falling asleep awoke To
lind himself enveloped In its web, and
in spite OF every effort made To eX.
tricate him, perished la its deadly EN-
brace.
Another story was that Of an escap.
ed convict who had hidden In the
swamp, and whose bones had been
found In the folds Of the sagenas only
u
it. These stories, remarkable IA they
may seem, are firmly believed In by
the people, but the only three speci-
mems which Mr.. Dunstan was able TO
find were all small ones, though the
meshes OF the largest would probably,
II extended In straight line, meas
ure nearly, IL not quite, zone hundred
feet. He was able to discover very
little about the nature OF the plant,
owing TO the difficulty Of handling H.,
for its grasp can only be torn away
with loss Of skin and even loss of flesh,
but, as near as Mr.. Dunstan could as
certain, its power OF suction II con
tanned in number Of innnitesimal
mouths or little suckers, which, ordi-
narily closed, open for the reception
Of food.
The gum e1uded seems TO serve the
two-fold purpose OF increasing It's
tenacity aud Of overcoming n victim
by its sicxeEng odor. The plant j.
found only in low, wet places and
usually beneath large tree, and
while dormant seems only n network
OF dry, dead vines, covering the black
earth for several feet, but coming
into contact with anything will in
stantly begin to twist and twine up.
ward in "A horrible, life-lIke manner,
breaking out with the gum-like sub
stance spoken Of before, and enwrap
the object with celebrity that IL nj
most incredible.
III the substance IL animal the blood
IL drawn of and the carcass or refuse
then dropped. A lump Of raw meat
being thrown IL, In the short space of
five minutes the blood will be thor
oughly drunk of and the mass thrown
aside. Its voracity Is almost beyond
belief, IL devouring Mt one time over
ten pounds of meat, though II may
be deprived Of all food for weeks
without any apparent loss of
vitality. Mr. Dunstan attempted TO
bring away root Of the sagenas, but
1t died during his return voyage,
growing so foul with strong odor Of
real animal corruption that bs was
obliged 10 get rid Of II.