Killer tree described
weary flake
"I will tell you about the most wonderful and also the most dreadful
tree in the world. This tree is so terrible in its ways, that it
is called 'the devil tree.' It is a tree which catches and devours
living creatures, as birds and little wild beasts, and even human
creatures if they get within its fatal reach. Happily there are
very few places in the world where this monster tree grows. In the
Island of Sumatra, in Australia, and lately in Mexico, it has been
found. It grows, fortunately, in inaccessible places, its roots
twisted about great bare rocks, in dense forests where few people
go. The devil tree is not of very high growth, and its shape is
something like a huge pine-apple; it is about twelve or fifteen
feet high, and ten or twelve feet around the base. The leaves
spring from the top of the tree, or what you would call the tip of
the pine-apple: they are dark green and as long as the height of
the tree. They hang down to the ground loosely, like the folds of
a closed umbrella. They are from fifteen to eighteen inches wide,
and nearly twenty inches thick. Above the leaves on the top of the
tree, are two round fleshy plates, growing one above the other.
From these plates constantly drips a juice which is rather sweet,
and very intoxicating. Around these plates are set long green
rope-like arms, or tendrils, much like the arms of a cuttle fish.
When a bird or wild animal climbs up to the plates or discs to taste
the juice, at once these long arms or palpi begin to rise and twist
like snakes. The juice intoxicates at once the creature that tastes
it, and it begins to jump and struggle. This motion increases the
action of the green arms; they wrap around their prey and hold it
close. Then the huge board-like leaves begin to rise, and close
together, forming a mighty press which crowds the struggling captive,
crushing it into a mere soft pulp, which is drunk up by hundreds
of little mouths or suckers upon the long green arms. When nothing
is left but dry husk, skin, feathers, bones, the leaves open, relax,
fall back, the plates spread out once more their intoxicating honey,
and are ready for another victim. Even people are sometimes killed
by the devil tree. The botanist who found the one in Mexico, thought
he would venture to touch with his forefinger one of the long green
arms. The little suckers seized so fast upon his finger that he
could hardly pull it away, and as it was, the cruel plant stripped
off the skin. Now, as old sailor Gorg and good Mr. Haas found a
little temperance lesson for Lars in the bottle tree, and the bottle
ant, so I will find a temperance lesson for you all in the devil
tree. I think every liquor store should have the terrible devil
tree for its sign. The saloon spreads out its enticing advertisements,
its colored glasses, its gaily tinted bottles of drink; it even
brings pictures, flowers, birds, good food, to add to the attraction,
just as on the barren rock the devil tree shows long rich green
leaves and arms, and gay and honey-bearing discs. But you know,
the Bible says of the wine, 'At the last it biteth like a serpent,
and stingeth like an adder;' and as the devil tree seizes the animal
which comes to drink the honey, and squeezes it to death, leaving
nothing of it which can be devoured, so the liquor saloon seizes
upon those who go to it and get a love of drink, and holds them
fast, until their honor, happiness, work, fortune, friends, homes,
health, even life, are gone. So keep away from places where drink
is sold, just as you would keep away from the devil tree. Remember
how the curious botanist lost the skin from his finger, just by
trying to experiment a little with the devil tree."
-- from Fru Dagmar's Son, by Julia McNair Wright, pages 324-327