282 POPULAR FIELD BOTANY. 
moist heathy ground, has its leaves round, and growing 
from the root. They are all covered with hairs of a reddish 
hue, from which proceed little drops of a sweet liquor, which 
attracts small insects, retaining them by its stickiness, whilst 
the leaf closes up till their struggles are over. Dead insects 
are frequently discovered on the surface, but it is difficult to 
say of what use they can be to the plant; perhaps the juices 
of the decaying insect may be valuable to its nourishment. 
The flowers grow on a stalk about four or five inches high, 
are white and very pretty. Another species, D. longifoha, 
is not so common, but easily distinguished, from the leaves 
being very long, tongue-shaped, and clothed with hairs in 
the same way as the rotundifolia. They both require 
searching for, on boggy heaths, as they are not conspicuous 
at a distance. 
HEXANDRIA. TRIGYNIA. 
MoNOCHLAMYDEE. POLYGONACE. 
RUMEX. (Docx.) 
Generic Character. See page 138. 
I have mentioned two species of this genus distinguished 
by the acidity of their leaves, and called Sorrels ; the rest are 
