The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-04
THREE CURIOUS PLANTS.
Tho CannibaI Tree. GrnppIe Plant. and vege
table Python.
From the Lo, Angeles Herald,

From the Los Angeles Herald.
Three of tho most dangerous Of vcgetatiro
plants in tho world are-the- 'cannibal treer OF
Australia. tho death or "grapple plant" OF
south Africa, and tho vegetable python" of
New Zealand.
Tho "cannibal tree" grows up in tho shape
OF a huge pineapple, and nttains a height OF
eleven feet. 1t haS c series OF broad, board
like Ieayea, growing In n fringe at the apex,
which forcihly brings 10 mind a gigantic Gem
trail America ngavei and these board like
leaves, fro m ten TO twelve feet in tho smaller
specimens and from fifteen to twenty feet In
the larger. hang to tho ground and are easily
strong enough 10 bear tho weight Of a man OF
lao pou nds or moro. In tho ancient times this
tree was worphipped by the native savaRes
under the name OF tho devil tree" q part Of
tho interesting ceremony being tho sacrifice OF
one OF their number to It's all too-ready en-
brace. Tho victim 10 DO sacrificed was driven
up the leaves of the .rse to the apox, and tho
instant the s~o-called ~"pistils" OF tho monster
were touched tho leaves would fly together
liEo a trap. crushing the life out OF the in
truder. In, this way the tres would hold its
victim until every particle of flesh would dis.
The ''grappie plnntris a p%rostrato herb.
growing IN south AtriGa: It's lowers arc
It's fruit has formidable hooks, which, by
~clingine 70 any passsr-by, is conveyed To sit
UutlDnS "tlcTo llb btbu ElRy uiu suitable con-
dltions for growth. Sir John Lubbock says
IL hns been known 10 kill lions.
The "vegetablo python" which IS known
to tho naturalist hs the clus!a or fig. Ia tho
stranger OF :ress. Tho seeds OF tho clusiR. be-
ing provided with 2 pulp aud very pleasant to
the tropical birds which feed thereon, are car
ricJ from treo % treo and deposited On the
bran hes. Here termination begins. The
lcaty stem slowly rises upward. while ,ho
roots flow, M 1t were. down tho trunk until the
soil Is reached. Hero and there they branch,
changing their course according TO the diren.
ton OF any distractions Let win. Meanwhile
from those ~rUotlets leafy branches have been
developed, which, pushing themselves through
tho canopy above, get into tho light, AID errC-
neousIy accelerate their growth. Now II
metamCrphOsis :RHos place! For the hitherto
soft aerial rnots begin Ia harden and spread
wider and wider, o out side branches.
which Now into aud RfUnlgamnte with each
other until tho whole tree trunk Is bound IN a
series of Irregular living hoops. From this
time on 1t Is II struggle Of life and death be-
tween tho forest giant and the entwining clu-
sIa. Like an athlete the tree tries 10 er Dand
and burst its %fettcrs. causing the bark to bulge
between every interlacing; but success aud
freedom arc not for tie caDtiNe tree, for the
monster clusia has made its bands very numor-
Gus and wide. Not allowed expansion, the
tree soon witlers and dies. and the stranger
Is soon expanded into a great bush, almost as
large as tho mass of branches and foliage IL
has efIaced. II is truly 4 tragedy IN the world
Of vegetation.