Chapter III 

 DARLINGTONIA CALIFORNICA 



Discovery. — Distribution. — Habit. — Leaves : kinds. — Structure. — Place of absorp- 

 tion. — Development of leaf. — Digestion and absorption. 



The genus name Darlingtonia is used here because of its wide 

 familiarity and use in horticultural literature. Under the International 

 Rules of Botanical Nomenclature this name is invalid because of being 

 a later homonym, and is to be replaced by Chrysamphora Greene. 



This highly localized pitcher plant of Oregon and California called 

 locally the ''cobra plant'' was discovered in October 1841 by Mr. J. D. 

 Brackenridge, Assistant Botanist of the U. S. Exploring Expedition, 

 under Captain Wilkes, on a journey from Oregon to San Francisco. 

 It was found in a marsh bordering a small tributary of the Upper 

 Sacramento River a few miles south of Mt. Shasta. In the opinion of 

 John Torrey, who described it in 1853, it was sufficiently different from 

 Sarracenia to warrant the new generic name which he gave it, dedi- 

 cating it to his "esteemed friend" Dr. Willl^.m Darlington, of West 

 Chester, Pa., "whose valuable works have contributed so largely to the 

 scientific reputation of our country." The range of this species is now 

 known to extend into the Siskiyou Mountains of S. Oregon, down to 

 sea-level along the coast (I found it 6 miles north of the town of 

 Florence) and in the contiguous region of California. As an example 

 of a restricted geographical distribution, this is comparable to that of 

 Cephalotus follicularis in S. W. Australia. 



Darlingtonia has the same general habit of growth as that of the 

 other Sarraceniaceae, a strong perennial rootstock, bearing a sort of 

 rosette of leaves and clothed with the dead remains of older leaves. 

 The larger leaves attain a length of 2-3 feet ("3 ft. 6 in.", Edwards) 

 and present a unique appearance, owing to the torsion of their tubes 

 and the large motley domes with their fishtail-shaped appendages. 

 "The leaves are most beautiful and singular, having a fanciful re- 

 semblance to a number of hooded yellow snakes with heads erect 

 in the act of making a final spring, suggesting the name 'caput ser- 

 pentis'," wrote Edwards in 1876. He states that the leaves all twist 

 in the same direction, which is not the case (Kurtz) {4 — 1-5). 



There are two kinds of leaves, juvenile, produced by seedlings 

 and by small shoots, and the leaves of maturity. The juvenile leaves 

 (5 — 1-4, 6; 6 — 17), which have been described by Goebel, follow 

 directly on the very simple lanceolate cotyledons, and on small lateral 

 shoots of restricted growth on rhizomes. They are tubular, tapering 

 downwardly, with a clasping base. The opening is oblique, the leaf 

 being drawn out on the abaxial side into a tapering acute or bifid 

 apex. The edges of the opening are simple, that is, are not curved 

 in- or outwardly. On the adaxial aspect the opening is bayed or 

 sometimes slit downwards. The whole outer surface of the leaf is 

 studded with somewhat raised stomata and many nectar glands which 



