Corn Knife Machete
Hand made machete from old corn knife and osage orange handle
Plants can be surprisingly resilient. Pyriscence, for example, is an adaptation that allows species to prosper after a fire. Acacia, ScotchBroom, and the appropriately named Gas Plant all have leaves coated in flammable oils that encourage intense fire to mature and release their seeds. The heat activated seeds lead to young plants within an open landscape and little competition.
Cytisus scoparius (Scotch Broom), from Flora of Germany, Austria and Switzerland, 1885
A more consternating evolution is the epicormic sprout, also known as a “water sprout” or “sucker”. This burst of spontaneous growth emerges from dormant buds as a response to distal compromise. From the plant’s perspective, sprouts provide sun soaking, life sustaining leaves.
Unfortunately, they are at once unsightly for the gardener and deformative for the lumberman. In order to contend with these, Ron fashioned this two handed machete—perfect for lopping errant shoots that threaten to knot and warp potential future building material.
Epicormic shoots sprouting from the bushfire damaged trunk of a Eucalyptus tree two years after the 2003 Eastern Victorian alpine bushfires in Australia
A machete is a handled broad blade used either as an agricultural implement or in combat like a short fat sword. The cutlass, bolo, and scimitar are all various forms of the machete and were (and still are) pivotal to the survival of indigenous people where they are used. The children of subsistence societies such as the Efe of the Congolese rainforest and Fore people of New Guinea, wield machetes nearly as soon as they can hold one. Machetes are often made from whatever material might present itself. This one is fashioned from Osage Orangewood and an old corn knife.
Knowledge Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machete#cite_note-8
https://slate.com/human-interest/2013/04/bad-parenting-ideas-that-are-actually-good-for-some-babies.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epicormic_shoot
https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/gtr/gtr_srs092/gtr_srs092-140-lockhart.pdf
Hutto, Richard L. (2008-12-01). “The Ecological Importance of Severe Wildfires: Some Like It Hot”. Ecological Applications. 18 (8): 1827–1834
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_ecology
https://www.treeweaverarborist.com/epicormic-sprouts-and-their-role-in-the-health-of-the-tree/
https://www.arboristnow.com/news/gutting-is-for-fish-not-for-trees 108. https://www.buyingasword.com/two-handed-swords-2
https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/prunetree.pdf
Image Sources
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Illustration_Cytisus_scoparius0.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Epicormic_Shoots_from_an_Epicormic_Bud_on_Eucalyptus_following_Bushfire_2,_near_Anglers_Rest,_Vic,_Aust,_jjron_27.3.2005.jpg
