I Pitcher Plants 1 5 



of the pitcher orifice originally nearer the base of the leaf. 

 The histological details of the pitcher are of interest, and 

 of exceptional beauty of colour. 



The Pitcher Plant proper (Nepenthes). — From this 

 solitary and tiny Australian rarity we may now pass to the 

 abundant and magnificent pitcher plants proper, the genus 

 Nepenthes^ of which not less than forty species are described 

 in Dr. Macfarlane's recent excellent revision of the group. 

 They are widely scattered over the Oriental tropics, with 

 their headquarters in the hotter regions of the Malay 

 Archipelago, but thence range northward into Cochin China, 

 southwards into North Australia, and westwards into Cey- 

 lon, Bengal, and even Madagascar. In all the species the 

 pitcher is borne at the end of a long tendril-like prolonga- 

 tion of the leaf, and is not only of very beautiful form but 

 great size, varying from an inch to a foot or more in depth. 

 Two varieties of pitcher occur in many species, the first, 

 associated with the lower leaves and developed during the 

 younger state of the plants, are not uncommonly found 

 actually resting on the ground. This form is short and 

 broad, provided with broad, external, wing-like prolonga- 

 tions, up which ants and other ground insects readily make 

 their way to the lip of the pitcher. The adult and more 

 abundant form of pitcher is longer and narrower, with the 

 external wing-like appendages less strongly developed, or 

 it may be even absent. The anterior (lower) surface of the 

 lid stands well open, serving after maturity no longer as a 

 protective cover, save that it may serve to throw off rain, 

 but apparently as an attractive surface or insect lure, being, 

 like that of the forms already examined, more or less 

 baited with nectar. The rim of the pitcher rewards the 

 closest scrutiny, its surface being beautifully fluted and 

 turned inwards and downwards, so as not only to strengthen 

 the pitcher and keep its mouth always stiffly open, but to 



