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MadAlice · 06-08-2023, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chelliephone

Raising her hand, Vera waited to be called on. "Judging by the name, I'm assuming all the pumpkin looking things are actually explosives!" This seemed not a safe lesson, but maybe just as much not so as when they talked about bombarda.

Quote:

Originally Posted by FearlessLeader19

Charlie squinted at the tree again because truthfully? The Puff hadn’t heard of it before. And for that reason, he really hadn’t a clue about what the tree was about. Still, the name ‘Dynamite’ had him hazarding a guess. “Perhaps some aspect of the tree explodes,’’ Char volunteered. “Perhaps it’s those spikes that burst their way out of the trunk at rapid speed.”

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nordic Witch

Racking his brain William raised his hand to offer a guess since something came to mind that he had heard or read somewhere. "Professor is the sandbox tree the tree where the fruit explodes out when its ripe to eat?"

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nordic Witch

Racking his brain William raised his hand to offer a guess since something came to mind that he had heard or read somewhere. "Professor is the sandbox tree the tree where the fruit explodes out when its ripe to eat?"

Tapio smiled; he had guessed that this massive, impressive-looking tree would get the children's attention. "Many of you have correctly guessed that the tree gets its nickname "Dynamite" because something on it explodes, but it's not the spiky-looking prickles. It is in fact the fruit, which resembles a small pumpkin. However, this fruit is not safe to eat, even when ripe. In fact, many parts of this tree are poisonous--the fruit, leaves, bark, and seeds. And the ripe seeds explode with enough force to injure people or livestock, so it's a rather dangerous tree to have around."

Tapio noticed some of the other students--Mitsuki Rasting and Ally Rory --seemed to be thinking of some ideas, but they didn't volunteer to share them with the class, so he moved on.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lottiepot

She raised her hand being the curious little kid that she was to ask a question. “Professor, why is it called a Sandbox tree if it’s that dangerous? Because Sandboxes are where little kids play to make sandcastles and you wouldn’t want a scary tree in a playground?” Perfectly reasonable question in her opinion.

Tapio laughed and replied, "No, you certainly wouldn't. But that's not the reason it's called the Sandbox Tree. In fact, people in the British West Indies used to saw the seeds in half and use them as decorative sandboxes for blotting ink from their pens. Some wizards in the region still do, though the Muggles gave that up long ago. They considered quite elegant in some social sets.

So--as I have said, this is called the Sandbox Tree, or Huro Crepitans, also called possum wood, monkey-no-climb, assacu, jabillo, and, of course, the Dynamite Tree. It's a member of the spurge family, Euphor biaceae and is native to tropical America. It's an evergreen tree, with long-stalked, dark-greenleaves which grow high in a round crown. It's larg--nearly 30 meters, or 100 feet, tall and its trunk is studded with short, conical prickles. Its globe-shaped seed capsules resemble small pumpkins and when ripe, they explode loudly, scattering the seeds . It likes wet soil, partial shade or partial-to--full sun, and prefers a warm, humid environment. It's often cultivated for shade and, if you can believe it, is sometimes grown as what they call "boulevard trees", used to mark the boundaries of property, though I myself don't think I would want to risk using it for this purpose. Fishermen in the tropics use the caustic milky sap to stun or kill fish to make them easier to harvest, and some tribes have been known to use its sap to make a poison for their arrowheads. It's wood is used in furniture, which is then d 'hura'. Parts of it are also used as herbal remedies.

This tree, though it seems like something that ought to be in the Forbidden Forest, is actually common in Muggle environments, but wizard arborists have cultivated a magical hybrid variety, which you see here. Its seed pods are a redder orange than the muggle variety, and are more clearly shaped like little pumpkins, It's also less poisonous, though it's still not advisable to eat the fruit or touch the sap. Also, the seeds are softer and squishier, so they're less dangerous when the pods explode. Besides the herbal remedies used by Muggles, there are a number of additional healing and other potions that use parts of the tree, including an old lotion that they used to use on Dragon Pox pustules. These remedies tend to be rather expensive because of the difficulty in harvesting the ingredients.

Now, as you have no doubt begun to guess, this can be a rather dangerous tree, or at the very least, uncomfortable. What do you think are some of the problems one might encounter when trying to harvest parts of this tree or work with it, and how might those be overcome?"

06-08-2023, 12:31 AM	#19 (permalink)
MadAlice Puffskein Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 2,394 Hogwarts RPG Name: Hope Archard Ravenclaw Fifth Year	Quote: Originally Posted by Chelliephone Raising her hand, Vera waited to be called on. "Judging by the name, I'm assuming all the pumpkin looking things are actually explosives!" This seemed not a safe lesson, but maybe just as much not so as when they talked about bombarda. Quote: Originally Posted by FearlessLeader19 Charlie squinted at the tree again because truthfully? The Puff hadn’t heard of it before. And for that reason, he really hadn’t a clue about what the tree was about. Still, the name ‘Dynamite’ had him hazarding a guess. “Perhaps some aspect of the tree explodes,’’ Char volunteered. “Perhaps it’s those spikes that burst their way out of the trunk at rapid speed.” Quote: Originally Posted by Nordic Witch Racking his brain William raised his hand to offer a guess since something came to mind that he had heard or read somewhere. "Professor is the sandbox tree the tree where the fruit explodes out when its ripe to eat?" Quote: Originally Posted by Nordic Witch Racking his brain William raised his hand to offer a guess since something came to mind that he had heard or read somewhere. "Professor is the sandbox tree the tree where the fruit explodes out when its ripe to eat?" Tapio smiled; he had guessed that this massive, impressive-looking tree would get the children's attention. "Many of you have correctly guessed that the tree gets its nickname "Dynamite" because something on it explodes, but it's not the spiky-looking prickles. It is in fact the fruit, which resembles a small pumpkin. However, this fruit is not safe to eat, even when ripe. In fact, many parts of this tree are poisonous--the fruit, leaves, bark, and seeds. And the ripe seeds explode with enough force to injure people or livestock, so it's a rather dangerous tree to have around." Tapio noticed some of the other students--Mitsuki Rasting and Ally Rory --seemed to be thinking of some ideas, but they didn't volunteer to share them with the class, so he moved on. Quote: Originally Posted by Lottiepot She raised her hand being the curious little kid that she was to ask a question. “Professor, why is it called a Sandbox tree if it’s that dangerous? Because Sandboxes are where little kids play to make sandcastles and you wouldn’t want a scary tree in a playground?” Perfectly reasonable question in her opinion. Tapio laughed and replied, "No, you certainly wouldn't. But that's not the reason it's called the Sandbox Tree. In fact, people in the British West Indies used to saw the seeds in half and use them as decorative sandboxes for blotting ink from their pens. Some wizards in the region still do, though the Muggles gave that up long ago. They considered quite elegant in some social sets. So--as I have said, this is called the Sandbox Tree, or Huro Crepitans, also called possum wood, monkey-no-climb, assacu, jabillo, and, of course, the Dynamite Tree. It's a member of the spurge family, Euphor biaceae and is native to tropical America. It's an evergreen tree, with long-stalked, dark-greenleaves which grow high in a round crown. It's larg--nearly 30 meters, or 100 feet, tall and its trunk is studded with short, conical prickles. Its globe-shaped seed capsules resemble small pumpkins and when ripe, they explode loudly, scattering the seeds . It likes wet soil, partial shade or partial-to--full sun, and prefers a warm, humid environment. It's often cultivated for shade and, if you can believe it, is sometimes grown as what they call "boulevard trees", used to mark the boundaries of property, though I myself don't think I would want to risk using it for this purpose. Fishermen in the tropics use the caustic milky sap to stun or kill fish to make them easier to harvest, and some tribes have been known to use its sap to make a poison for their arrowheads. It's wood is used in furniture, which is then d 'hura'. Parts of it are also used as herbal remedies. This tree, though it seems like something that ought to be in the Forbidden Forest, is actually common in Muggle environments, but wizard arborists have cultivated a magical hybrid variety, which you see here. Its seed pods are a redder orange than the muggle variety, and are more clearly shaped like little pumpkins, It's also less poisonous, though it's still not advisable to eat the fruit or touch the sap. Also, the seeds are softer and squishier, so they're less dangerous when the pods explode. Besides the herbal remedies used by Muggles, there are a number of additional healing and other potions that use parts of the tree, including an old lotion that they used to use on Dragon Pox pustules. These remedies tend to be rather expensive because of the difficulty in harvesting the ingredients. Now, as you have no doubt begun to guess, this can be a rather dangerous tree, or at the very least, uncomfortable. What do you think are some of the problems one might encounter when trying to harvest parts of this tree or work with it, and how might those be overcome?"