New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1897-05-26

THREE CURIOUS PLANTS..
The Cannsbal Tree, Graphic Plant and
Vegetable Python.

The Cannsbal Tree, Graphic Plant and
Vegetable Python.
Three of the most dangerous of vege-
tasive plants in the world are the can
nibal tree of Australia, the death OF
grapple plant Of South Africa and the
vegetable python of New Zealand.
The cannibal tree grows up in the
shape of a huge pineapple and attains a
height Of II feet. It has series: Of
broad, boardlike leaves growing in a
fringe at the apex, which foroibly
bring to- mind a gigantic Central
American agave, and these boardLke
leaves, from 10 to 49, feet in the smaller
specimens and from rs to 30 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 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-
ills Of the monster were touched the
leaves would fly together like q trap,
crushing the life out of the intruder. In
this way the tree would hold it's victim
until every particle Of flesh. wonld dis
appear from his bones -
The grapple plant is PROSTATE herb
growing in South Africa. Its flowers
are purple and shaped; like the English
foxglove. It's fruit has formidable hooks
which, by clinging to any passerby, is
conveyed to situations where it's 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 or
fig, is the strangler 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 tres, and deposit ted on the
branches. Here germination\ 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 &C
cording to the direction Of any obstruc-
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 their
growth.
Now a metamorphosis takes place.
for the hitherto soft aerial roots begin
to harden and spread wider and wider,
throwing out side branches, which flow
into and amalgamate with each other
until the whole tree trunk is bound in a
series OF irregular living hoops. From
this time on it is struggle of life and
death between the forest giant and the
entwining clusia. Like an athlete the
tree tries to expand and burst it's fet-
tiers, causing the bark to bulge between
every interlacing, but success aud free
dom are not for the captive tree, for the
monster clusia has made it's bands very
numerous and wide. Not allowed ex-
pansion, the tree soon withers and dies,
and the stranger is soon expanded into
a great bush, almost as large as the
mass of branches and foliage it has
efaced. It is truly tragedy in the
world of vegetation.-Los Angeles
Herald.