Pterocarpus Angolensis is a tree
native to South Africa. It’s also commonly known as the bloodwood tree
due to the fact that when it’s chopped or damaged, a deep red sap which
looks eerily similar to blood, seeps from the tree. In fact, the purpose
of the sap is to coagulate and seal the wound to promote healing, much
like blood.
Frankincense
Gum tree sap. The trees bleed this blood-red sap in reaction to
insect borer attacks. These insects create tunnels and chambers as they
consume the wood. The tree responds by flooding the wounded area with a
chemical called
‘kino’, but it can also be sap or amber. The kino engulfs the insect —
trapping it and hopefully killing it.
Photo credit:
Evelyn Ward de Roo
Spitbug nest
The froghoppers, or the superfamily Cercopoide, are best known for the nymph stage, which produces a cover of frothed-up plant sap resembling spit; the nymphs are therefore commonly known as spittlebugs and their froth as cuckoo spit, frog spit or snake spit.
The froth serves a number of purposes. It hides the nymph from the view of predators and parasites, it insulates against heat and cold, thus providing thermal control and also moisture control. Without the froth the insect would quickly dry up.
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