THE STRUCTURES OF PITCHER PLANTS. 



NOTES ON THE STEUCTUEES OF PITCHEE PLANTS.* 



BY LAWSON TAIT, F.R.C.S., PROFESSOR OF ANATOMY TO THE 

 BIRMINGHAM ROYAL SOCIETY OF ARTISTS, ETC. 



(Continued from Vol. II., page 297.) 



SARKACENI.E CONTINUED. 



Sarracenia rubra closely resembles S.Jlava in all the above details, and 

 the amount of fluid in both was always exceedingly small, only enough to 

 moisten the hairy zone and sometimes not sufficient even for that. 



S. flava maxima. — I found the zones here to correspond closely with 

 those above detailed. At the base of this pitcher the development of 

 the trichomes and their relations to the intercellular canals can be 

 especially well seen. I have had no opportunity of examining a fresh lid 

 of this magnificent pitcher. 



S. Drummondii. — Unless this plant is in extremely good growth its 

 leaves abort and do not grow pitchers. It can evidently make use of only 

 very small insects, for anything larger than a house-fly kills the pitcher. 

 Its first two zones correspond exactly with those already described, and 

 its third, which is homologically its fourth, is destitute of glands, but 

 studded with numerous trichomes. Below this is a very extensive con- 

 tinuation of this zone destitute of everything but epithelium. I have 

 never found any fluid at all in its pitchers. The species is evidently an 

 instance of imperfect or early development. 



S. variolaris. — I selected this plant as representing Dr. Hooker's 

 second group. I found the surfaces of the lid the same as in S. rubra. The 

 first zone of the pitcher had no stomata and very few glands, and these 

 were evidently not sub-epithelial, though the mammillary process of the 

 cells was produced over them. The second zone had no glands or stomata, 

 and the third had the usual tubular trichomes. I found one pitcher of 

 S. variolaris filled with natural food, amongst which a little moisture had 

 gathered. The source of this moisture is probably the air of the hot- 

 house, for I found quite as large an amount gather in a narrow test tube 

 containing a number of flies, placed under similar circumstances. I 

 squeezed the fluid out of the flies from the pitcher, but it had no acid 

 reaction. 



Darlingtonia Californica. — I have had opportunities of examining 

 pitchers from four plants, one of which was sent living from its native 

 soil at Sacramento, and a description of a pitcher of this plant, which 

 was fourteen centimetres long and two in greatest diameter, will answer 

 my purpose best. The curious two-lobed organ hanging from the lip, 

 stated by Dr. Hooker, on the authority of Professor Asa Gray, to be 

 smeared with honey, is abundantly supplied with spiral vessels. Both 

 surfaces are numerously supplied with stomata, and situated on or close 

 to the twigs of spiral vessels are large epithelial cells containing brown 

 protoplasm and a large, bright nucleus. (Fig. 10.) I think these are 

 nectaries. The first zone of the pitcher was spiked as in Sarracenia, 

 there was abundance of spiral tissue, but no brown cells, ostioles, 



* The figures referred to in this paper will be found in the Plates Nos. VII. and 

 VIII. in Vol. II. 



