Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 09:02:17 -0700 (PDT) From: Barry Meyers-Rice <bamrice@ucdavis.edu> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg3149$foo@default> Subject: Re: Carnivorous plant, Devil's Noose (fwd)
Folks,
I have been in communication with Pat Comforti, a person who is seeking
information on a certain plant. I have told Pat that the plant being
sought (the "Devil's Noose") is probably not a real plant. This common
name has not come up in any of the searches I have tried.
In any event, the plant's obviously fantastic description is below. If you
have any information on this, please email Pat.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
To: Barry Meyers-Rice <bamrice@ucdavis.edu>
I'm shocked. Here is the paragraph it is written in from a philosophical
textbook which references it. "Dunstan, the naturalist, reported
finding on the banks of Lake Nicaragua a particularly vicious plant
which is called the Devil's Noose. This bush-like plant is equipped
with long ten drils, or whip-like feelers, flexible, strong, black,
polished and without leaves which secretes a viscid fluid. THese
tendrils are employed by the plant to entangle small animals passing
under its bush and then to drain their blook and absorb their flesh."
Can you lead me to Dunstan, a naturalist or a vampire plant? Any lead
on Dunstan would help. Thanks so much. Patty
Barry Meyers-Rice wrote:
>
> Dear Patty,
>
> I have searched for any reference to a Devil's Noose plant and am unable
> to find it. I can assure you there is no carnivorous species that can
> A)Capture a dog or B)Gnaw upon its legs. The largest prey captured by
> carnivorous plants are small rodents captured in Malaysia. In Nicaragua
> the carnivorous plant genera are limited to prey the size of small flies
> or even smaller.
>
> Since none of the references I have note a Devil's Noose plant, and the
> claims for its behavior are clearly fictional, I suspect your plant was
> created out of thin air. This is not uncommon, for example the famous
> man-eating plant of Madagascar and lost worlds of the Venezuelan dinosaurs
> (based upon the actual tepuis) are similar. Such stories were created to
> bewilder readers, and often to encourage donations to fund further
> explorations into the realms of unknown lands.
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