CHAP. I.] POLYGALE^. 285 



but other species are natives of New Holland 

 and North America ; and several of them have 

 long slender leaves like threads. Venus's Fly- 

 trap (Dioncea muscipula) is a native of Caro- 

 lina, in North America ; the leaves are curiously 

 formed of two lobes, which close and open as 

 if hinged, and they are fmniished with glandular 

 hairs, which are so extremely irritable as to 

 make the leaves close at the slightest touch, and 

 thus to imprison any unfortunate insect that 

 may be within the lobes. The petiole is so 

 much dilated as to look like a leaf, but the real 

 leaf consists of only the two roundish lobes 

 edged with teeth that form the Fly-trap. The 

 flowers are white, and they are produced in 

 corymbs. The corolla has five petals, wdiich do 

 not fall off Avhen they wither, but roll up so as 

 to look like the cocoon of an insect. 



ORDER XXII. POLYGALE^— THE ]MILK\\'ORT 

 TRIBE. 



The genus Polygala is well known from the 

 very handsome greenhouse plants which it con- 

 tains. The flowers at first sight appear to 

 resemble those of the Sweet Pea, having two 

 wings like a standard, and a sort of keel ; their 

 construction is, however, very curious, and so 

 complicated, as to be very difficult either to 



