The record-union., 1895-08-31
STRANGE PLANTS.
Curious Collection of Flora From
the Tropics.
Some Queer Natural Products of
Southern Mexico-A Tree Whose
Sap Both Cheers and Inebriates-
Jack the Giant Killers Bean Stalk
Primitive Wrapping Paper.

National Museum, has returned to Wash
ington from region strange to science.
AT all events, the territory referred to-in
Southern Mexico. near the boundary of
Guatemala-has been until now almost a
terra incognita to botanists. and the
whole of it is literally mine of curiosi-
ties chronological. What will be thought
OF plant on which grow toy tops, which
the children spin? But that is not very
surprising in country where most of
the common household utensils and even
the medicine bottles of the apothecary
are produced by nature on trees and
vines.
Among other things, DR.. Palmer has
succeeded in solving the mystery of the
origin of the jumping bean. This Pc
culiar vegetable product has been on the
market now for some time, but nobody
has been able to find out where it came
from. The beans are infested by the
larvae Of species of moth related TO the
common apple worm, and their move
ments are caused by the insects they con-
tain. Up to date a man in Mexico has
had corner on these beans. being alone
acquainted with the source of supply.
They have been selling at % cents apiece
in Northern and Eastern cities, while
they have fetched only that much per
quart at San Antonio, Texas. But the
secret is out, for DR.. Palmer has dis
covered the plants that produce the beans,
which grow on shrubs of an euphorbia-
ceous species, most of them being in
tested in the manner described. He has
obtained specimens of The flowers, leaves
and 1rult.
Living ants nests were among the
strange things discovered by DIR. Palmer.
| There was kind Of tree that seemed
quite ordinary until it was ascertained
| that every joint in it was followed out
and occupied by large black ants. 1t was
SO with every tree OF this species that was
met with-not single joint but had it's
| colony of ants. These ants are extremely
fierce. and will swarm out and attack
| any body who attempts to climb the tree.
! Consequently the natives are careful to
keep at respectful distance. Ants OF a
closely allied tribe were located by the
explorer in a situation yet more remark
able. They made their homes in the
great thornS of a sort of acacia. These
thorns are arranged along the branches
by twos, each pair resembling two thorns
and constituting nest. The single en-
trance to each nest Is always little round
| hole near the extremity OF the lett thorn.
| Many of the plants collected by Dr..
| Palmer are of species hitherto unfamiliar
| to botanists. One Of these bears a fruit
| like plum, the pulp OF which is eaten.
| This fruit is known as the "tronpo.' The
seed is precisely the shape of a toy top.
La that region one frequently sees groups
| Of three or four boys playing games with
| these tops, which they spin with their
! fingers like teetotums. There is big tree
of the bean family which produces flat
pods three feet in length, and these are
used by the children as toy swords. a
gigantic climbing bean, which might
have served Jack Of the nursery tale tor a
| ladder, furnishes the people with u SUBJ
stitute for soap. The wood of its stem is
sold in bundles, and the housewife puts
| ii to soak in water preliminary to wash
| ing the clothes. 1t makes good lather.
Much more important from the eco
| coinical point Of view is another tree be-
longing to the bean family which bears
| so-called lear pods.o The pods, which
have a fancied resem blance To human
ears, contain seeds that are very nutri-
tiOus. During the dry season, from Oc-
| tOber to June, when corn IS apt to be
scarce, they serve as staple diet. The
seeds of this valuable plant are now
| being distributed in small quantities by
the Department Of Agriculture for plant
lug in this country. Hitherto they have
ply is limited to the few quarts which
| DIR. Palmer collected. He got also some
seeds of morning-giory tree which is
| likely to secure an Introduction III the
| United States as an ornamental plant.
1t is closely related to the familiar morn
! ing-glory vine, but IS large tree, attain
! ing hight of thirty feet or more. At
blooming time 1t Is covered with huge
snow white blossoms, no leaves appear
in until tho sapHg that tOllOW the fiOwlrE
| have ripened.
1t is q strange fact that in parts of the
country where whole forests OF these
morning-glory trees are found the people
are destitute of fuel. This is because the
wood OF the tree burns like straw and is
of no value tor fires. The ancestors OF
the natives were not obliged to wait for
the dawn Of pottery making in order to
supply themselves with vessels. They
have gourds, which grow like pumpkins,
and are utilized for an astonishing variety
Of purposes. Big, pear-shaped ones are
used 10 hold eggs and Tor preserving seeds
from mice and moisture. A pair OF scales
brought back by DR.. Palmer is composed
solely of two halves of gourd and q
piece of string. The weight is a pebble.
| The Mexican who wishes to engage in
trade axes piece of rock TO the proper
, Government officer, who chips away frag-
ments Of it until it is brought down to a
standard and legal pound exactly.
Utensils OF another sort, such as dishes,
| grow on trees that are related to our OW II
cataipas. They are the seed pods, and are
| called "calabashes." The trees are
known as 'licaras,n and have reddish
| flowers The calabashes are put TO every
| Imaginable use. serving among other
things as market measures. one species
| of iacara furnishes excellent m9dlcln @
bottles, which are somewhat the shape Of
whisky TASKS. each one having natural
nozzle for cork. These bottles are
sometimes ornamented with fantastic
carvings in rude designs; they are very
solid, and almost impossible to break.
The people OF the territory described
make an Intoxicating drink from the
cocoanut tree. They cut Oft the flower
spikes and hang beneath them by strings
/ empty cocoanut shells. The sap drops
into the shells and is carried to market.
| When fresh it is a mild and agreeab bic
! beverage, but it quickly begins TO fer
| ment. and after few hours it is so
stimulating that the natives frequently
| oct drunk on il. The stuff Is called toba.
! Cocoanuts are also plucksd when only
half ripe, and, the top being cut OFT with
| a machete, the milk. as clear and trans
parent as water, is drunk. At the bot
tom of each green nut is JeiIy-like sub
| stance that is the beginning OF the meat,
and this is eaten with piece of the outer
hull for spoon.
Dr. Palmer obtained number of pods
! from the cotton tree. This tree produces
immense quantities OF soft and downy
fiber which is very much like ordinary
cotton. In season the branches are fairly
covered with the pods, which are three or
four inches long and filled with white
fluff. The latter is used for stutliDg pill
lows and cushions; its staple is too short
and brittle for weaving. An odd fruit OF
that region is the mamma APPLE" which
looks somewhat like an oval cocoanut
with thin shell. 1t has an agreeably
/ Hovorad pulp eamblinp that of ba-