You must have heard about the popular insect-consuming plant, Venus Fly Trap, that traps and consumes insects to make up for its nutrient deficiencies. But there are several other carnivorous plants other than Venus Fly Trap that are major sources of the stories of man-eating trees, and we are going to look at a few of them below.
https://asknature.org/strategy/stretched-leaves-power-rapid-closure/
The Corpse Flower is one of the major plants
responsible for many inauspicious stories about man-eating plants. This plant
can grow up to 9-feet tall when in bloom, and it gives off the smelly odor of a
rotting corpse that attracts its victims.
Harold
Cunningham / Getty Images
Other noteworthy plants Include the Nepenthes with vines that grow up to 50-feet in length, the Nicaraguan Vampire Vine, also known as The Devil's Snare, Yate Veo Tree, and many more plants that you will do well to avoid.
In this article, we are going to look at
some of the stories and legends that inspired my first story in Book Two
of The Horror Wedding Series, The Botanist's Wife, which tells
the story of the twisted obsession of a famous botanist for a tree, who even
wanted to marry the tree.
There are numerous folklores and legends
associated with certain ghost trees or plants. One of the most popular of such
legends is the story of the Carnivorous tree of Madagascar.
The famous botanical folklore was first
reported in 1878 by Carl Liche. Carl was a famous German explorer who told an
ominous story of a ceremony he witnessed in Madagascar during his time with the
local tribe of the island called Modo. According to Carl, the villagers selected
a teenage girl as a sacrifice for the man-eating Madagascar tree. The villagers
used javelin-like implements to prod the girl and force her to climb the scary
tree. According to his tree description, it looked like a huge pineapple with
long hairy tendrils at the top. The girl was made to drink from a pool of fluid
surrounded by several of the trees' tentacles.
Artist's rendering of The Madagascar Tree
Carl’s story was brought to the spotlight
again in 1924 by Chase Osborne, the former Governor of Michigan. In his book,
Madagascar, Land of the Man-eating Tree, he claimed that the tree described by Carl
existed indeed. His story strengthened the legendary tale told by Carl Liche.
Despite the thought-provoking tale told by
Carl and backed by Chase Osborne, research into their report claimed that the
folklore was a hoax. Research showed that such a tree had never existed in
Madagascar at all.
Another popular ghost tale about man-eating
trees is the Philippine folklore called Batibat.
The Batibat, also known as Bangungot, are believed
to be demons responsible for causing a fatal nocturnal disease known as
Bangungot. These demons usually reside in trees, and they attack humans when
the tree they live in is cut down and used as a post for a house. The Bitibat then
moves into holes in the post. The demon transforms to its true form and attacks
anyone that sleeps near its post. It does this by sitting on its victim’s chest
to suffocate them.
Moving away from folklore and legends, we will look at actual real-life events of “how looks can be deceiving" when it comes to certain trees. Few trees in the world can compare to the Manchineel Tree – Hippomane Mancinelli – when fitting into the phrase. The Manchineel tree is native to tropical Americas. Don't let the beauty of this tree deceive you. It is so dangerous that staying under it during a rainstorm will leave you with memories and scars you will never forget.
The normal-looking Manchineel tree is as
docile as it comes with a silvery gray trunk, which is not much different from
other trees. Pleasant and even beautiful leaves and fruits that look like they
are created only for eating with promises of sweet-tasting juices and nectar.
What's more? The fruit has the appearance of apples - earning it the name “beach
apples.” And who wouldn’t want a taste of such beautiful “plum” smelling
fruits? Looks can be deceiving, and this has almost led many people to their deaths
unknowingly.
There have been cases of people taking shelter during a storm, but only to come away with inconceivable painful blisters that burn like fire. And from the book "most unfortunate experience" by Dr. Nicola Strickland, we now know that the result of taking just a bite from the enticing fruit will make you wish to never set eyes on the fruit again. The taste of the fruit begins with a burning feeling which gradually progresses to a tearing and burning sensation followed by intense pain, ulcerations, and throat swelling.
From the account of Dr. Strickland, it will
take a miracle to survive eating the poisonous fruits of the Manchineel tree. Luckily,
she and her friend, who had the unfortunate experience, were fortunate to have
only taken a bite and are still alive because the tree can indeed kill with its
poisonous toxin.
Historically, the toxin of the tee has been
used to poison water supplies, and it was applied to the arrow that killed
Ponce de Leon. The stories surrounding the Manchineel tree are the major
inspiration for my story – The Botanist’s Wife. It is available in Book
Two of The Horror Wedding Series.
Today, the Manchineel tree is marked red X
or with a red line at the base of its trunk to warn of its danger.
Whether you believe the stories of
man-eating trees, the truth remains that there are plants out there that are
better left alone. Experience isn’t always the best teacher, and some trees are
even more clever than humans, and they could trick humans and kill them without
them even knowing.
References
https://www.historicmysteries.com/carnivorous-plants/
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ManEatingPlant
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/27399/madagascars-legendary-man-eating-tree
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