HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 209 



Southern Europe in shallow ditches and small ponds with very 

 clear water. The plant looks like an Utricularia, has no roots, 

 but floats freely in the surrounding medium. Its trap is also 

 shown in Fig. 12 (4-6), and it is not necessary to describe its ac- 

 tion, which is very similar to the one described in the Venus fly- 

 trap. The plant consumes small crustaceans, but not as rai^idly 

 as the Bioncea. 



CARNIVOROUS PLANTS CATCHING INJECTS BY MEANS OF STICKY 



GLANDS. 



Forms which are contained in the third class of carnivorous 

 plants show no movements produced by contact with food, but 

 their leaves are covered with glands, which secrete a sticky fluid 

 to catch animals. They also secrete fluids to digest, or which 

 are able to absorb the albumen obtained from the victims. The 

 most peculiar and best known representative of this class is the 

 Dew plant {Drosoi)hyllum lusitcmicum), a native of Portugal and 

 Morocco (Fig. 14.) This plant differs greatly from the other 

 carnivorous plants thus far mentioned by growing, not in wet 

 places but upon sandy soils or dry hills. The leaves, which 

 occur in large numbers, are linear, ending in slender, thread- 

 like points. Each leaf contains in its middle, upon the upper 

 surface, a longitudinal groove. All the leaves are covered with 

 pearls of fluid, which makes them appear as if covered with dew. 

 These sparkling' drops are serceted by glands resembling those 

 of Pmguicula and Drosera. They agree with the latter in their 

 red color, with the former in their hat or mushroom shaped 

 form. Besides these glands, visible with the naked eye, we find 

 others, without stems, which are colorless and secrete an acid 

 fluid able to digest animal tissues. If an insect flies against a 

 leaf its motion is not arrested but simply retarded. In trying to 

 crawl away it comes in contact with more drops, which soon en- 

 close it entirely, thus preventing escape. It is now absorbed by 

 the flat glands, and only its harder substances are left behind. 

 The secretion of this fluid is a very copious one, and we find in 

 consequence numerous victims in all stages of digestion fastened 

 to the leaves. The number of these victims is so great, that a 

 plant covered with them attracts the attention of every passer 

 by. The farmers near Oporto utilize these plants to catch the 

 tormenting house flies in their dwelling places. 



Numerous other plants are enabled by a similar construction 

 to catch insects, for instance: Primula viscosa, P. villosa, P. hirsuta 

 Vol. IV.— 27. 



