THE BLADDERWORT FAMILY. 197 



to make its own food out of carbonic acid gas (as 

 described in the Introduction), it gradually loses the 

 power to do so, these green-leaved parasites being in 

 this condition. After many generations, it loses it 

 altogether, and at the same time the chloroiiiliyll, or 

 green matter, ceases to be made, when all power to 

 decompose carbonic acid is gone, and the parasite 

 becomes white or tinted with yellow, red, etc., but not 



General Descrijption of the Nemesia Family. 



Hc^'-hs, shruhs, or trees. 



Leaves — Simple, opposite or alternate. 



Flowers — Sepals, 4 or 5, free or coherent ; petals, 4 

 or 5 ; corolla, irregular, forms, various ; stamens, 4, 

 didynamous or 2 ; ovary, 2-celled, with a terminal 

 style. 



Fruit — Capsule, with many seeds in each cell, 



Lentibularinese. 



The Bladderwort Family. 



This order only contains 4 genera, widely dispersed 

 over the warmer and temperate regions of both worlds. 

 Many are remarkable for catching living animals and 

 deriving nourishment from them, but by a different 

 method from that described under the Sundew 

 (Broseracew). 



