i62 THE STORY OF PLANT LIFE 



which embrace similar Insectivorous plants) with a 

 spice of romance which smacks of the animal world. 



There are perhaps two hundred and fifty species in 

 this Order included in the genera., Pinguicttla, Genlisea, 

 Polypomphylox, Utrictdaria, Biovtdaria, of which the 

 Butterworts and Bladderworts are represented in the 

 British Isles by several species. 



Of cosmopolitan range these plants are mainly 

 found in temperate and cold regions. Many of them 

 are found in aquatic or marsh formations. 



From the fact that the corolla has a spur like that 

 of the Toadflax the group has been ranged near the 

 Figwort group. The structure of the ovule and 

 capsule, on the other hand, shows that the Butter- 

 wort group is nearly related to the Primrose group. 



Being adapted to aquatic conditions some of these 

 have the rosette habit, which characterises dry-soil 

 types as a rule, but is developed in some hygrophilous 

 types, as in Compositae, and even in aquatic types 

 as here. When the habitat is a shallow pool, or 

 moist Sphagnum-heds, this habit is the most suited to 

 such conditions. The leaves are mainly radical, in 

 whorls, close together, entire or much divided, with- 

 out stipules. 



The inflorescence is a raceme often one-sided, or 

 a corymb, or a spike. The flower may be solitary, 

 as in the Butterworts. The flowers are herm- 

 aphrodite, irregular or zygomorphic, with the parts 

 in fives, with bracts. The flower-stalks are scapes, 

 radical or terminal. The calyx is gamosepalous. 



