The dynamite tree.
He's an extremely aggressive guy, but more on that in a moment.
In South and Central America, where it grows, it is also called the devil's tree or monkey's gun . Botanists call it Hura crepitans.
When you see it, you can guess its character, because its trunk is full of thorns.
And the sap inside has always been used as arrow poison. It's extremely poisonous, but it's also said to cause hallucinations.
But when its pods are ripe, it is very dangerous to get close, because they are poisonous and the tree literally shoots them around.
The capsules look like little pumpkins.
At the right moment, they can suddenly explode. This then makes a loud bang.
The small, hard seeds are launched at 250 km/h. This can be very painful, but it can also seriously injure people and animals.
And now the fruits of the tree: they are also poisonous and if you eat them you get diarrhea, vomiting and violent stomach cramps.
The tree sap is corrosive and not only attacks the skin, but can cause blindness if it comes into contact with the eyes.
And the tree thorns?
They are about a centimeter long and prevent various predators from climbing the trunk.
They also protect the trunk from the scorching sun because they are close to each other.
All in all, this tree is very interesting, but also to be "enjoyed" with great caution.