Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1897-04-16
THREE INTERESTING PLANTS.
GraPpie Plant and Vegetable
Python.
Los Angeles Herald.

ctativc plants are the "cannlbal tree"
oi Australia, the death" or 'grapplc
plant Of South Africa, and the "veg-
etable python" OF New Zealand.
The "cannibal tree" grows up i'll the
shape OF a huge pineapple and attains
Il height Of eleven feet. 1t has series
of broad, board-like leaves, growing in
4 fringe at the apex, which forcibly
brings to mind gigantic Central
American agaye; and these board-llke
leaves, from ten to twelve feet in the
smaller specimens and from fifteen to
twenty feet in the larger, hang to the
ground and are easily strong enough
! to bear the weight OF a man Of 40
pounds or more. In the ancient times
this tree was worshiped by the native
savagcs under the name of the devil
tree" 4 part of the interesting ccre-
mony being the sacrifice OF one OF
their number to its all toO-rcady en-
brace. The victim to be sacrificed
was driven up the leaves OF the tree to
the apex, and the instant the so-called
"pistals' of the monster were touched
the leaves would fly together like n
trap, crushing the life out of the
intruder. In this way the tree would
hold its victim, sapping his vitality
and life, until every particle of flesh
would disappear from the bones.
The "grapplc plant" is a PROSTATE
herb growing in South Africa. Its
flowers are purple and shaped like the
English foxglove. Its fruit has for
midable hooks, which by clinging to
any passerby, is conveyed to situations
where its seed may find suitable con-
ditions for growth. Sir John Lub-
book says it has been known to kill
lions.
The following is story concerning
a fight between hungry lion inter-
rupted in his supper, and grapple
plant, the deadly and destructive herb
of South Africa.
"The African sun was slowly setting
in Western horizon of palest blue,
while from the East came bounding
along without thought or scent of
danger herd of the hartebeest ante.
lope, their beautiful red chestnut
skins glistening with color in the
bright yellowish sunlight. Hungry
for supper, they stopped beside patch
of nabbuk bushes to partake of al
small fruit which were plentifully
scattered along the ground.
"On the other side of the bushes
stretched lion, tawny and fearless,
just awakened from his midday nap.
He arose, stretched himself leisurely,
opened first one eye and then the
other and carefully surveyed the
plains before him. Suddenly he saw
the antelope herd feeding on the fruit
of the nabbuk bushes. The pupils of
his eyes dilated, his head became at
tentive and rigid, the firmness of steel
crept into the lOosened muscles, the
body crouched close to the ground,
while to and fro, quivering with pas
siOnate emotions, slowly swished the
tufted tail. Slowly and cautiously,
with every stey considered, the king
of beasts crept upon his prey.
"At the edge of the grass he stopped
and looked attentively around. A
long space still separated him from
the nearest antelope. From beneath
his shaggy eyebrows there oscillated
flames and fire; he paused as if to
measure the distance while gathering
together all his strength for the neces-
sary leap. Then suddenly he shot
forward like an arrow from its bow,
and his victim was within his EN-.
brace while herd of frightened ami
mails were scurrying in terror across a
tropical African plain.
But along the plain came slowly
rolling, propelled by the refreshing
breezes, some purplish.colored flowers.
Now they rounded themselves into
balls, sometimes travelling faster,
sometimes slower, sometimes stopping
altogether, according to the varying
strength of the breeze and thus these
treacherous, formidable-looking little
hooks swept on until at last one lazily
rolled under the headquarters of the
lion as he lay occupied with his VIC
tim. Unrolling itself its hooks slowly
got hold of his tawny quarters, but
the lion fed on unheeding. But as he
sat still occupied with his supper the
hooks began to creep and curl most
cruelty into the flesh of the tawny
beast until with a savage snarl he
started up and began to investigate.
But investigation proved useless, and
all his efforts to get rid of the annoy
ancs by brushing it with his paw were
also unavailing.
"The hooks gradually tightening
their hold were now giving the beast
considerable pain, until maddened by
desperation and agony, he seized the
fruit in his mouth and tried to loose it
from its lodging place. But the fruit
remainded firm. The lion now mad.
dened beyond all self-control, tore
away with all his strength until the
fruit gave away into the lions mouth,
winding its sharp prongs into the
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