Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1897-05-29
THREE CURIOUS PLANTS.
The cannlnal Tree. Grnrplo Plant mud
Vegetable pythOn.

The ca,,nlhal Tree. Grnrple Plant md
Vegetable Python.
Th1co of tho most dangerous of vego-
tative plants in the world arc the cam
nibal tree of Australia, the death or
graphic plant of South Africa aud tho
vegetable python of New Zealand.
The cannibal tree grows up in tho
shape of huge pineapple and attains a
height of II feet. 1t has a series Of
broad, boardlike leaves growing in a
fringe at tho apex, which forcibly
bring to mind gigantic Central
American agave, and these boardlike
leaves from 10 to 10 feet i'll the smaller
specimens and from l 8 to 20 feet i'll the
larger, hang to the ground and arc
easily strong enough to bear the weight
of II man of 140 pounds or more. In tho
ancient times this tree was worshiped
by tho native savagos under the name of
the devil tree, part of the interest
ing ceremony being tho sacrifice of ono
of their number to its all too ready en-
brace. The victim to be sacrificed was
driven up the leaves of tho tree to the
apex, and tho instant the SO called pis-
ills of the monster were touched the
leaves would fly together like a trap,
crushing the life out of tho intruder. In
this way tho tree would hold its victim
until every particle of flesh would dis
,,,,oo,. frO,,, In. horoc
The graphic plant is u PROSTATE herb
growing in South Africa. Its 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 us the clusia or
fig, is the stranger of trees. The seeds
of tho 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 tho
branches Hero termination begins.
The leafy stem slowly rises, while tho
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 obstruc-
lions met with Meanwhile from these
rootlets leafy branches have been de-
velopod, which, pushing themselves
through the canopy above, get into the
light and enormously accelerate their
growth.
Now 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 III 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 its fet-
tiers, causing the bnrk TO bulge between
every interlacing, but success and free
dom are not for the captive tree, for the
monster clusia has made its bands very
numerous and wide. Not allowed ex-
pansion, the tree soon withcrs and dies,
and the stranger is soon expanded into
great bush, almost Us large as the
mass of branches and foliage it has
effaced. 1t is truly tragedy in the
world OF vegetation. Los Angeles
Herald.