Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-05

WA-k D--M the giant redWoods
G1E { 49,, the colossi of the
Nt~ -===--S@ Calaveras grove
trees centuries old,
that tower high in air hundreds of feet
above the pines, and others that look up
to them as the giants of plant life.
Giants are found in the ranks of animal
life; but they do not attract SO much at
tention or appeal to us as abnormally
large plants. 1 shall never forget the feel
ing 1 experienced when in the California
coast range l entered an ancient grove of
redwoods. The giants that probably saw
the ships of Drake, and possibly the car
avels of Cabullo in 1912, We're gone, cut
down and burned; but from the outer
circle of the trunks had grown girdle of
younger trees. one hundred feet high in
some cases, that stood extending their
limbs and branches to the vast hollow
space that once marked the interior of the
parent tree. l did not measure the trunk
spaces of the old trees, but each Enclosure
would have held a large house, or two or
three hundred people could have crowded
into it.
One of the most remarkable discoveries,
sensational in every particular, comes from
Suniatra. Some years ago several botan-
lists were travelling through the country in
search Of new things in plant life, when
the natives told them of a gigantic flower,
describing it in such weird terms that they
at first did not believe the account; but
one day DR.. Arnold one of the party,
came upon the wonder. He was not only
amazed. but dumfounded, the strange OBJ
ject that met his view making a profound
impression upon him. Later he said: ITO
tell the truth, had l been alone and there
had been no witnesses, 1 should, l think,
have been fearful of mentioning the di-
mansions of this flower, much does 1t
exceed every flower l have ever seen or
heard Of
A Gigantic Flower.
Passing from the bush to some trees, the
discoverer was confronted by gigantic
flower, appars ntly growing alone, without
leaves or verdure. from the ground The
petals, five in number, were thick and
feshy, over an inch in thickness, while the
center presented the appearance of a bowl
from which projected curious spikes The
entire flower was nearly four feet across;
each petal weighed almost three pounds,
and the entire flower, ii it could have been
held up, would have. entirely concealed the
person holding it. The flower weighed in
some specimens twenty-five or thirty
pounds. The nectary alone could catch
ak. hold twelve pints of water
The new discovery was startling in many
ways 1t was a flower without leaves or
anything but the attachment to the earth
a complete puZZle-and at first 1t looked
like a gigantic toadstool that had taken
the form of a flower. Tipping one of the
flowers over, it was found that it grew
from a delicate leatless stem not larger
than two fingers, and was, in short, won
derful flower parasite growing and deriv-
ing its Sustenance from the body of a huge
vine that in turn wound about the trees
of the forest.
The story of this flower was received
with incredulity. but it has since been
seen by many, and been named after Sir
Stamford Ratties, Rafflesia.
Higher Than IL Man.
No one would have thought of finding
in Sumatra giant ally of the little wake
robin;' but such discovery came to Bee
carl and amazed him equally as much as
did the Rafiesia DIR. Arnold. Beccari also
had heard rumors from the natives of
flower higher than a man, and that at
certain times gave out an odor that was
fatal to man or beast. The Italian natur-
alist did not believe the latter, and deter
mined to make a vigorous search for the
man-killing plant Finally, deep in the
forest, he came upon 1T. 1t resembled a
lily but a giant; and from the center of The
flower rose a spadiX that was six feet in
height-or as tall as large man. The
stalked leaves were ten feet long, the
whole peculiar plant taking up an area
of forty-tive square feet The diameter OF
the spathe was about three feet, bell Shap-
ed, with serrated edges of delicate green
tint while upon the outside it was a rich
purple hue The odor was not poison GUS,
but was we'll calculated to keep both man
and beast at a distance.
A few years ago a friend of Beccari, the
Marchese Cors-Salviat of Florence, pre-
sented potted tuber of this plant weigh
ing fifty-seven pounds to the Royal Gar
dens at Kew, England, and one night it
bloomed to the establishment and delight
of those who saw It, The plant is called
the giant-arum (amospho phallus titanum).
Travellers who visited or passed the Cape
Negro country of Africa often heard from
the natives of a plant that was part spi-
der, and that growing threw its legs
about in continual struggles to escape: 1t
was the good fortune of DR.. Welwitsch to
discover the origin of the legend. Stroll
ing along through wind-swept table land
he came upon plant that rested
low upon the ground, but had two enor-
nous leaves that blew and twisted about
in the wind like serpents; in fact, it looked.
as the natives had said, like a gigantic
spider. Its stem was four feet across ana
hut one foot high. 1t had but two leaves
in reality, that were six or eight feet long
and split up by the wind so that they re-
sembled ribbons. This is probably the
most extraordinary tree known. 1t grows
for nearly If not quite century, but never
inward beyond about foot, simply slowly
expanding until 1t reaches the diameter
given, looking in its adult state like
singular stool on the plain from ten 10
eighteen feet in circumference.
Giants of the Grasses.
When the wind came rushinS III from the
sea, lifting the curious rlppoh-hke leaves
and tossing them about, 1t almost seemed
to the discoverer that the strange plant
had suddenly become imbued with life and
was struggling to escape. When a descrip-
tion and picture of the plant was sent to
Ergland IT was, like many other dscov-
cries. discredited; but soon the plant Itself
was received, and today Welwitschia mira
hills is well known to botanists, and stands
first among the unique productions OF the
vegetable world.
The giants of the grass tribe are the
bamboos. and they attain a height of over