PLANTS THAT ROB AND MURDER 67 
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 flowers, 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 
