Anatomically Correct Whomping Willow
The whomping willow is a fictional tree from the Harry Potter series of books. It is a magic willow that can move its branches to punch people who come close to it.
Small animals such as cats and rats can approach without much worry; Anything human-sized or larger gets whacked. As for how strongly it can punch, one of the books has this quote in it:
"People used to play a game, trying to get near enough to touch the trunk. In the end, a boy called Davey Gudgeon nearly lost an eye, and we were forbidden to go near it."
"”Remus Lupin
It also has a small knot near the base. Pressing it causes the tree to become immobilised, at least for a few moments, so it is safe to stay close to it. I don't think the books ever mention how long that lasts.
What I would like to know is the closest thing to that we could have, in a fictional world, without magic (hence the science-based tag). Doesn't have to be a plant per se: it can be a fungus or anemone. It just needs to be a living, sessile thing.
This post was sourced from https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/q/153662. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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