PLANTS’ BULLETS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIII, Issue XII, 16 September 1899, Page 476

PLANTS’ BULLETS.

MIMIC BA TTI > ES I i ETW E E N WISTARIA VINES. Many common garden plants shoot bullets; not as big nor as hard as those shot from a gun. but they go quite as far ami are as effective proportionately. If the plants which shoot them were* as big as a gun these* vegetable bullets might do great damage. As it is battles take place between plants, during which the* bombardments art* fierce enough while* they last. The common Wistaria has been known to shoot a. bullet over fifty fret. This curious property is the* result of nature's effort to scatter the as far as possible. Many plants have seed pods which are* held, so to speak, in a state* of tension. As the plant grows its fibres become* stretched. until when the* seeds are* fully developed the* retaining capsule bursts open violently and the seeds literally are* hurleel in every direction. The* wistaria has seeds which in size* and

shape are much like a pistol bullet, ami as the plant loves to grow on hillsides and on eminences the distance these vegetable bullets travel before touching the ground is very great. When the number of plants is large, and they all shoot off together, a mimic battle takes place which must be alarming indeed to the small animals in the neighbourhood. One can imagine the consternation of the squirrels and the birds during the time when the black pods are flying. If one of these bullets were to hit a bird in a vital part it would undoubtedly injure it. The wild geranium is another plant, that hurls its seeds in all directions.

The story is told of an invalid who had placed some wistaria plants on a mantel near her bed and forgot them. Some time afterward, when she lay sick in bed, her family heard her scream out, and rushed into the room to find her in a nervous, frightened condition, exclaiming that a bullet had been shot into the room. She was soothed and quieted by assurances that such a thing was impossible. But later in the day she cried out again, this time insisting that a bullet had struck the window pane and had come across the room. Sure enough the “bullet" was found at the foot of the bed. When examined it turned out to be a wistaria pod. Then she remembered the plants on the mantel. They had ripened and shot their seeds. One had gone across the room, struck the window pane and bounded back to the bed. The distance, as measured, was thirtv feet.