Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1891-02-07
QUEER PLANTS.
SOME CURIOSITIES AT THE Ma
TIONAL HEKBARlUM
A Weed That Horses Get Drunk On
Flower Sheaths That Are Used
for Hats-The Surprising
Vegetable Dishrag.

vestigating Washington Star reporter j
ran across there are number of most in
teresnng vegetable curiosities To be-
gin with, there Is specimen Of plant
native to Central America and known as
the vegetable cap" because the natives
Use its flower sheaths for head cover
ings. Before the bud of this queer veg
etable opens it is covered with brown
fbrous case somewhat the shape of an
umbrella cover and about two and q half
feet long. This sheath is pushed off by
the expansion of the flower, and being
folded in telescope fashion makes 3
very picturesque sort of hat indeed.
There is also shown that remarkable
weed, common on Kansas prairies, which
makes horses drunk. The taste for this
''loco, plant is not natural, but the ami
mails eat it sometimes when other forage
IS short. Having once acquired the ap-
petite IL this way they prefer it to any
thing else and devour il greedily, being
driven by II into q trenzied lntoxicstion.
Al first they go round aud round in y
blind sort Of way, leapIng over u stick AS
II it was a five barred gate, aud other
wise conducting themselves 6absurily.
Finally they swell up and actually burst
open. At one time bounty was offered
70 persons who would pluck up the weed
sud deliver it to the authorities for burn
ing, 50 much being paid per quantity
But the stuff caue in 50 last as to gen
crate Il suspicion that the farmers had
found profit i'll cnltivatiu. II, and the
bounty was withdrawn.
Then there is tie vegetable dishrag'
that grows in the Southern States, which
is newly coming into use for such pur-
poses as its name indicates. 1t is very
durable, something like sponge in the
form of a sheet, and has the feel OF u
coarse Turkish towel when employed i'll
the bath. Down South it is found
selviceable in all sorts of other ways.
/ Also is exhibited the vegetable ivory
! plant, which is SOFT of palm, native to
the tropics, that ruus along the ground,
making pods at intervals Each pod
| contains from three to five of the nuts,
which are about the size aud shape of a
bantam's egg. The material of which
they are composed resembles ivory very
much in appearance, is int ensely hard
and lasts nearly as we'll as real ivory so
long as it docs not get wet.
The "soap root" which the miners Of
California use to wash their clothes with,
| is another remarkable plant. They soak
their things over night together with
the root, which forms suds. Indians
employ it IN like manner for cleansing
their blankets.
In the same strange case are pods OF
the Western yellow water lily, the cells
Of which are filled with black seeds, each
of the bigness of small marble, which
rattle about when the pods are dry In.
dian babies are supplied with them often
for rattlcs Alongside of these, are the
red 'sword beans which grow in Flor
ida and are used good deal for neck
laces and other articles Of lewelry Also
YOU can see the seeds of the ''calthrope,
g floating water plant. These seeds ar
sometimes called water chcstnuts, AM
. upon 4 certain variety of them 80, 90
people in Cashmir derend altogether 70
) food during i've months Of the year.
Venice they arc called '.Jesults nuts
Another seed oi /. curious nature IS IN
real nut. known as the "anacsrdium,
which, nAeu cut open, ! % polsonoai
a. 10 produce effects Like hnd quite =
bad As those Q. the polson w.. a bo.'
> 5expciiueut@f over q, N4c Department pu
portion ~ the kerne Vi one oi the nut
ia his mouth Oh : certain occasion nt
long ago. aud the uex. day his face va
pretty much all mouth aud eruption.
There a:e sLUDn, too, somc skelelot
Of calt Tie Indians OFT West 80.
the pFicaiy pe=t plan. -nd Z. the So