68 THE HUMAN SIDE OF PLANTS 
bodies and their beautiful flowers, they are like 
human vampires clinging to their victims, gloating 
over their conquest, and shamelessly flaunting their 
ill-won charms into the faces of their fellow-plants. 
Such a beautiful, shapely thing is the razor-grass. 
Having climbed a dozen feet or so up the sturdy 
trunk of an upright tree, it allows its long, curving 
blades to droop over, hanging there in languorous 
indolence. Truly it is a beautiful thing in both 
shape and colour. But let your hand touch the 
edge of one of its gracefully drooping blades! The 
sharp, saw teeth with which it is thickly armed will 
cut deep into your flesh. Clothing, skin, and bone 
need fear this beautiful, heartless thing of the 
forest. 
One of the most interesting phases of these 
robber plants is found among certain kinds which 
take on the thieving habit when they choose to, and 
drop it at will. The cuckoo-pint, often found grow- 
ing high up on the sides of ditches, has a cousin 
which thrives in Brazil. It is sometimes seen sitting 
far up in the air, delicately held like a tremendous 
spider with long straight legs reaching to the earth. 
Occasionally it takes root, and feeds itself as other 
plants do from the soil. Like some people, how- 
ever, it works only when forced to do so by the 
lack of food. 
