PLANTS THAT ROB AND MURDER 6? 



plants, unless they resort to violence and unscrupu- 

 lous force to gain their means of living. 



The common vine-bamboo is a parasitic trop- 

 ical plant; but it is not so bloodily inclined as are 

 many of its fellows. It seems content to sprawl 

 about on whatever tree or branch its trailers hap- 

 pen to meet, thankfully accepting this bit of sup- 

 port, as the begging human vagrant accepts the 

 bit of bread or money which some generous fellow- 

 man has tossed him. 



This is one of the kindlier, more harmless para- 

 sites, which has not the inclination or the energy 

 deliberately to injure a friendly neighbour; but 

 there are many, many plants in the tropics which 

 hesitate at no bounds in their selfish avarice. They 

 writhe and cling about their victims, climbing over 

 them, bearing them down, choking them, fre- 

 quently crippling or killing them. 



Yet, strangely enough, there are few of these 

 more unscrupulous parasites which are unbeautiful 

 to see ; most of them are among the most lovely of 

 the plant species. Their flow r ers, swaying far up 

 among the honest, dull leaves of some righteous, 

 sturdy tree, seem to be luring their less attractive 

 neighbours out of the straight and narrow path of 

 virtuous industry into the blossoming glory of par- 

 asitic idleness. With their gracefully twining 



