Francis E. Lloyd — 46 — Carnivorous Plants 



probably in a large part, to the absence of cuticle from the whole area 

 occupied by the long detentive hairs, according to Batalin (1880) 

 who observed the loosening of the cuticle from the free surface of the 

 cells by the formation of blisters (in Sarracenia flava). Batalin even 

 suggests that this non-cuticularized epidermis takes over in the ab- 

 sence of glands, their function, not only of absorption but also of di- 

 gestion, since throwing off the cuticle seems to be indicative of the 

 excretion of some substance, possibly digestive. The condition in 

 Darlingtonia does not seem to be wholly parallel to that described 

 by Batalin for Sarracenia. I placed a pitcher in methylene blue over- 

 night and found the whole inner surface stained deeply in the morn- 

 ing. On sectioning, the whole inner epidermis was found deeply 

 colored. On staining with Sudan III there was distinct evidence of 

 cuticularization, especially in the radial walls. The outer walls were 

 thinly stained, sometimes not at all, while the cuticle of the outer 

 epidermis was obviously thick and richly stained. I could not, how- 

 ever, find clear evidence that the matter stands as Batalin describes 



it. 



Development of the leaf. — Material for the study of the development 

 of the leaf in Darlingtonia was obtained on May 22, 1938, growing in a 

 sphagnum swamp 6 miles N. of Florence, on the coast of Oregon at a 

 few feet above sea level. At that time the plant was in full flower, and 

 in some plants very young leaves were beginning to make their ap- 

 pearance. New leafage would be achieved in the course of a month, 

 the present leaves having persisted since the previous season. In the 

 depths of the pitchers were to be found merely the chitinous remains 

 of insects long since caught, and no odor, such as has been detected 

 by others during the active season, was noticed. 



The morphology of the leaf is easily the most complicated of all 

 the pitcher plants of the Sarracenia type. This is because of the 

 torsion of tissues which occurs at the outer (distal) extremities of the 

 two sides of the nectar roll, and the edges of the fishtail flap. The 

 nectar roll appears to be extended as an infold of the outer edges of 

 the fishtail flap, which hangs down from the distal sector of the open- 

 ing, its ventral face being that one which faces the tube of the pitcher. 

 We may follow the development of the leaf in examining the follow- 

 ing series of stages, chosen conveniently. 



Case I. A very early stage of development (<5 — i) in which the 

 whole leaf consists of a flat cone 0.3 mm. high. This may be regarded 

 as identical with the corresponding early stage of Sarracenia purpurea 

 as represented by Troll (1932) and earlier by Goebel (1891), though 

 in Goebel's figure the mouth of the beginning pitcher is too wide, 

 and the leaf -base is not shown. The mouth is not set so nearly hori- 

 zontal as in Sarracenia. The margins of the leaf-base wings are con- 

 tinuous transversely from one side to the other. A small stretch of 

 tissue separates this from the edges of the mouth, already well marked. 

 The rim of the mouth is continuous all around, making peltation com- 

 plete. 



Case 2. Leaf 0.7 mm. tall {6 — 2). The mouth and its continuous 

 rim form a definite papilla, the upper margin taking the lead in up- 

 ward growth. The tissues between the lower transverse rim of the 



