Chapter VIII — 105 — Drosophyllum 



serves to transmit the stimulus. The digestive capacity of the plant 

 is reduced after fructification. 



The same author studied the cytological concomitants of the di- 

 gestive and absorptive activity, and his findings are of interest in con- 

 nection with those of Homes and others on aggregation in Drosera 

 and with those of Franca above given. He found that the state of 

 aggregation can be procured independently of digestion. During 

 digestion there occur "black concretions" in the inner course of cells 

 of the stalked glands. These are not the "spherules alimentaires " of 

 Franca, but intravacuolar precipitation of anthocyanin compounds. 

 In the sessile glands, however, concretions appear in the cells derived 

 from the absorption of albumins impregnated with melanin. The 

 chondriome of the glandular cells does not act directly in the elabora- 

 tion of proteolytic enz3rmes and it does not present alterations which 

 allow us to attribute to them an important role in the phenomenon of 

 digestion. Only in the internal secretory layer of the sessile gland 

 the elements of the chondriome are considerably reduced in volume 

 during intracellular digestion. The number of the chondrioconts is also 

 reduced and that of the mitochondria is increased proportionally. 



On the other hand, the vacuome appears to be the seat of the 

 elaboration of ferments and certainly has an important role in the 

 processes of digestion and secretion. 



Pathological conditions in the plant due to overfeeding have not 

 been observed. It is clear that Drosophyllum profits by food materials 

 supplied by animals, and that this compensates for an insufficient 

 mineral nutrition, Quintanilha says in general conclusion. 



Literature Cited: 



Darwin, C, Insectivorous Plants. 2d. ed., London 1875. 1908 reprint. 



Fenner, C. a., Beitrage zur Kenntnis der Anatomic, Entwickelungsgeschichte und Biologic 



der Laubblatter und Driisen einiger Inscktivoren. Flora 93:335-434, i904- 

 Fernandes, Ab{lio, Morphologia e biologia das plantas carnlvoras. Anuario da Sociedade 



Brotcriana 6:14-46, 1940; 7:16-52, 1941. A third part appeared later in 1941; the 



whole was issued as a brochure, repaged, in 1941. Good photographs of Drosophyllum 



and of its habitat. 

 FR-A-Nf A, C, La question des plantes carnivores dans le passe at dans le present. Bol. Soc. 



Broteriana I (2 ser.):38-57, 1922. 

 FRANfA, C, Recherches sur le "Drosophyllum lusitanicum" et remarques sur les plantes 



carnivores. Arch, portug. d. Sci. biol. 1:1-30, 1925. 

 GoEBEL, K., Pfianzenbiologische Schilderungen. Marburg 1889-1891. 

 Harshberger, J. W., Notes on the Portuguese insectivorous plant, Drosophyllum lusitani- 



cum. Proc. Amer. Philosoph. Soc. 64:51-54, 1925. 

 Meyer, A. & A. Dewevre, tjber Drosophyllum- lusilanicum. Bot. Centralbl. 60:33-41, 



1894. 

 Penzig, O., Untersuchungen iiber Drosophyllum lusitanicum. Diss. Breslau, 1877. 

 Quintanilha, A., O problema das plantas carnivoras. Dissertation Coimbra, 1926, 88 pp 



(Contains a very full bibliography of the Uterature pertinent to carnivorous plants. 



French resume). Extr. from Bol. Soc. Brot. 4. 

 Solereder 1899 {see under Dionaea). 



