Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1894-07-14
MILITANT PLANTS.
THEY LOOK LIKE FIGHTERS, AND
THAT'S WHAT THEY ARE.

The Panaaaas Reaex@s Has . Row Of |
spines which Pierce Like Ssedies--sseme |
Fightsrs In the Palm Family The Jim |
cersess sf the Collection.
IAN organic beings. without exception,
tend 20 increase at 40 high a ratio that no
district, no station. nor even the whole |
surface of the land or the whole ocean,
would hold the progeny of a single pair
after certain number Of generations. The
Inevitable result IN mn ever rccurrent strug-
gle for existence. Ii has truly been said
that all nature In at war. the strongest ul-
timately prevail, the weakest fall 7 Some
thing like this statement by the most cele-
brated Of the naturslists will occur to the
obseryant person without any skill In nat
aral history who visits the Phipps eonserv-
atory and tries to make out the meanings
Of the curious features which 50 many of
the plants present.
For instance, the big pandanus refiexus.
which no visitor will pass unnoticed IL
has militant look from the root up, its
leaves or whatever they are 90 be called
| reminding ON. Of the ancient two handed
swofd-~that IA, they do mt first glance. but
| one must not trust that or he win be de-
ceived. The leaf IL not like sword blade;
only half OF it II. The whole leaf In Of
the shape Of half opened book. On each
edge aud along the center IL a row Of
| spines. which pierce like needles. 1t IN en-
dogenous--thrt In, increases by internal
growth and eiongation at the top and has
no bark to strengthen and protect II.
Judging from appearance. one Of those
long leaves would be easily broken by the
push OF an animal, and TO keep animals at
their distance u has sent out these spines.
l xxh al 4 A
young animal which ran against them
once would remember them the next time.
Just as calves and colts soon learn not to
play close to barbed wire fence. The
pandanus, which is one OF so species OF a
genus which inhabits tropical climes from
Africa To Polynesia, az II sticks out Its
keen spines and threatens Ia puncture the
hide of anything which comes near IL,
seems to say, like the Scotch thistle; "No-
body can monkey with me with impunity
am fighter" That IN one reason why
IL IL NO big. IL has made room for itself
In nature might IN right--the weaker goes
to the wall.
Some other fighters will be found In the
palm house. One Is easily found by its
label, Latania barbonicn, and IL In par
ticuiarly interesting In that II IL an exam
pie of plant protecting its young II that
In the way to say 1t. Three outer stalks,
strong and we'll developed, each with its
row of sharp spines. inclose and defend the
tender central stalks. The leaf OF n central
stalk. one may see, is not allowed 10 pass
the older stalks, lest II suffer damage
They keep IL behind them MS mother
might push her child behind her In tims
of danger. This young leaf IL kept in lead
ing strings until the stalk has grown ss
that IL can reach out over the Others anc
take care Of itself. Meantime IL will pro
duce set OF spines and join the othcl
stalks In the great fight which II 10 deter
mine what plant Is fittest to survive. Tn,
instinct OF animals Il wonderful, but th,
instinct OF the plant IN equally 80. Thai
may be seen In this larger latania, which
, states on it's label that these palms wer,
} discovered in south China in 1918. II has
developed body. and In that at the base o
the branches the fruit grows. Care must b,
taken OF that, for IL the seed II not ripenet
they will not reproduce, and the species
| will suffer tO that extent. See the spines
on those branches around where the frui
! lies. Let an animal try To get into IL, ant
, he would come out with sore hide. Tn,
. plant would scratch him like a cat. Tn,
pandanus Is erect, and so It's spines sticl
straight out. itwnnts to prevent animAil
from pushing against H. The palm wantl
to protect its fruit and SO its spine point
downward, as much as to say 10 THE
below. "You come up here, and III jnl
your eyes OUT In still another palm, tn
great one just inside the main entranc
10 the conservatory, the spines are inche
long, look like stilettos and form per
feet cheval-de-frise. Man, with all hi
|. thinking how to make that obstruction q
|. an enemy most complete, has not surpass
ed the genius of nature in 80 directing tn
! points of these stilettos as to cover ever
. possible approach. As fighter this bi
phenix spinosa is the Jim Corhett OF tn
! palmhouse, and 1t is great ON style.
That Is what some of the other fighter
are not, as the caetuses. They take a
: sorts OF shapes, In stature rising fror
! creeping stems--thonRh there is nome q
\ large in the eonservatory--to trunks Q
! feet high, hut are neither beautiful whe
: small nor majestic when great. They al
= too abominably stupid TO put ON style
But what should one expect OF plan
which wild grows In hot, stony places an
when cultivated IL entirely happy In
sandy loan mixed with brick dnstf On
. might as well expect style In those liftl
black Italians of the pipe line. who hay
!, been reared ON musb and cucumbers. An
the pity OF IL IL these cactrses are Anne
\ lean from way back. Pretty nearly the
: only redeeming feature II that they ca
Tight. Big or little. they are ready to d
hattie, unless 1t be those granidaddis
with the long white hair, which, III
= = many men, are aged looking without bein
Y venerable and make one think they ha
Y best beiake themselves to another worl
= for all the good they are doing in thii
y Whoever IL was that put the cactuses an
= the sleepy and leather Drained young a
ligators In the same house In the conser'
" atory had an inspiration. for they surel
!. 20 together. But that !s not 10 say ths
y thess plants are uninteresting. Far frol
. Il. They offer many Suggestions as 10 Il
humors OF nature. and In their sphere the
are useful. IL they would only wake O
and look alivei They seem douhly stupl
y TO one who goes 10 them from the spirits
Y plants in the other parts of the conservl
= terry pittsburg Times.
He Meant Ossrshees.
4, clearing n gentleman speak of hisove