The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1897-05-13
THREE CURIOUS PLANTS.
rhe Cannlbni Tree, Grappie Plant and
Vegetable Python.

rhe Cannibni Tree, Grappie Plant and
Vegetable Python.
Three of the most dangerous of vege.
tative plants in the world are the car.
hibal tree of Australia, the death or
grapple plant of South Africa and the
vegetable python of New Zealand.
The cannibal tree grows up in the
shape Of huge pineapple and attains
height Of IL feet. 1t has a series Of
broad, boardlike leaves growing in a
fringe at the apex, which forcibly
bring to mind a gigantic Central
American agave, and these boardlike
leaves, from 10 to 12 feet in the smaller
specimens and from 3 to 30 feet in the
larger, hang to the ground and are
easily strong enough to bear the weight
Of a man of 140 pounds or more. In the
ancient times this tree was worshiped
by the native savages under the name Of
the devil tree, part Of the interest
ing ceremony being the sacrifice Of one
of their number to it's all too ready en-
brace. The victim to be sacrificed was
driven up the leaves of the tree to the
apex, and the instant the so called pis-
tils of the monster were touched the
leaves would fly together like a trap,
crushing the life out of the intruder. In
this way the tree would hold its victim
until every particle Of flesh would dis
appear from his bones.
The grapple plant is prostrate herb
growing in South Africa. It's flowers
are purple and shaped like the English
foxglove. Its fruit has formidable hooks
which, by clinging to any passerby, is
conveyed to situations where its seed
may find suitable conditions for growth.
Sir John Lubbock says it has been known
to kill lions.
The vegetable python, which is
known to the naturalist as the clusia OF
| fig, is the stranger of trees. The seeds
of the clusia, being provided with a
pulp and very pleasant to the tropical
birds which feed thereon, are carried
from tree to tree and deposited on the
branches. Here termination begins,
The leafy stem slowly rises, while the
roots flow, as it were, down the trunk
until the soil is reached. Here and there
they branch, changing their course ac
cording to the direction of any obstruo,
tions met with. Meanwhile from these
rootlets leafy branches have been de
veloped, which, pushing themselves
through the canopy above, get into the
light and enormously accelerate theil
growth.
Now metamorphosis takes place
for the hitherto soft aerial roots begiI
to harden and spread wider and wider
throwing out side branches, which flow
into and amalgamate with each othe
until the whole tree trunk is bound in
series Of irregular living hoops. From
this time ON it is struggle of life an,
death between the forest giant and tn
entwining clusia. Like an athlete tn
tree tries to expand and burst it's fet
ters, causing the bark to bulge between
every interlacing, but success and free
dom are not for the captive tree, for tn
monster clusia has made its bands yer,
numerous and wide. Not allowed ex
pansion, the tree soon withers and dies
and the stranger is soon expanded int
great bush, almost as large as tn
mass Of branches and foliage it ha
effaoed. 1t is truly tragedy in tn
world of vegetation. Los Angelo
Herald