Pili mara
In the village of Padrame in the Uppinangady forest range of India cows are being attacked by carnivorous trees:
According to reports, the cow owned by Anand Gowda had been left to graze in the forests.The cow escaped after Gowda and the villagers beat the hungry tree into submission. Locals call such trees ‘pili mara’, or tiger trees, and many believe snacking pili mara are the reason so many of Padrame’s cows have been coming home at night with missing tails.
The cow was suddenly grabbed by the branches and pulled from the ground. The terrified cowherd ran to the village, and got Gowda and a band of villagers to the carnivorous tree.
Now hold on just a second here. Was the tree going to actually consume the person? Or just (unconsiously) kill it and let it rot at its feet for manure? This a big difference! People actually do eat trees, and digest them, all the while reflecting proudly on the process. So calling the tree carnivorous seems a bit, what?, frivolous? unscientific?
ReplyDeletePardon me for giving this further thought.
A wandering, far-flung relative of the upas tree, perhaps.
ReplyDeleteProfessor Watson appears to have some spare time on his hands. Perhaps he should investigate. Or at least send one of his black employees.
zLloyd: Who are these people who eat trees? I sure don't, unless you categorize broccoli as a type of minature tree.
ReplyDeleteMencius: Good one. I think Watson's critics should be flung into carnivorous trees.
Wasn't one of Dickens' characters injured by an upas tree? I can't remember, but even though I know it's wrong I would like to pretend injuries sustained from upas tree exposure are why Tiny Tim was a cripple.
People eat apples, and therein eat apple seeds (those which they don't spit out), which would grow into trees. They eat figs.They are not seen eating fully grown trees, but people eat plants which grow into trees, seeds, etc. People are definitely voracious eaters of the plant kingdom, and savage eaters of the animal kingdom, and would probably eat bark if they could mash it up and put in their soup.
ReplyDeleteStop it, Lloyd, you're making me hungry.
ReplyDeleteYou were always the best of them, Lloyd.