198 SOUTH AFRICAN FLOWERING PLANTS. 



In South Africa two genera only occur, Utricula'ria, 

 the Bladderwort, and Genlis'ea. The Butterworts 

 (Pinguic'ula) abound in the northern hemisphere. 

 They have got the English name of " Butterwort " for 

 a peculiar property of curdling milk. It is said the 

 Laplanders use the leaves for that purpose in preparing 

 the milk of reindeer. Their oval, spoon-like leaves are 

 covered with glands, which secrete fluids much in the 

 same way as described in Dros'cra, but are immovable. 



Utricula'ria. — The species are either aquatic and 

 submerged plants, with finely divided leaves (as de- 

 scribed under Bamcn'cuhos aquat'ilis), provided with 

 " traps," or else they are marsh plants, with entire 

 narrow leaves without the bladder-like traps. The 

 late Mr. Darwin has given us an elaborate account of 

 the structure of the traps in both these genera, as well 

 as of Bros' era} 



In UtTicida'ria the bladder-like traps, which sug- 

 gested both the Latin and English names, are little 

 oval or pear-shaped hollow bodies on short stalks. 

 They can be opened at one end only, but are usually 

 closed by a flap. A minute water creature lifts up the 

 flap, in its investigations in search of food, and so 

 enters the bag-like trap. The flap instantly falls down 

 on its rest, and the creature cannot escape. It soon 

 dies, and when it decays, club-shaped cells projecting 

 inward from the inner surface of the wall of the trap, 



* " Insectivorous Plants." 



