certain vegetable Musckapce. 1 09 



is in the Leersla oryzuides of Europe and America. The 

 edges of the valves are very distinctly ciliated, or furnished 

 with a number of fine teeth or delicate spinules. 



It is this ciliate structure that enal)lcs the plant to per- 

 form the business of a Mu'ickapa. When a small insect, 

 such as a spider or a minute fly, insinuates "itself between 

 the valves (probably in pursuit of a honeyed fluid), the valves 

 close upon it, the spinules enfolding each other ; thus re- 

 taining the insect, which, I presume, as seldom escapes a$ 

 the insect that has been cauoht by the valvular structure at 

 the ends of the leaves of Dioiuea JMuscipuln. 



In ihe. Leersia oryzoides of Swartz and Michaux {Ltersia 

 virgmica of Willdenow), which is called in the United 

 States '•' Cut-grass" and " Sickle-grass," the structure of 

 the glume is very similar to that which I have just described. 

 In particular we observe the ciliated structure, thouoh it 

 is less conspicuous than it is in the Let'ism lentkularis. 

 No doubt, the former as well as the latter of these grasses 

 is entitled to the appellation of a Miiscicapu. But~I have 

 not yet observed insects between the valves of the Leersia 

 virginka. I may liereafter inquire more particularly into 

 the subject. 



In Georgia and in Florida there grows a beautiful shrub 

 to which the inhabitants have given the name of " Flv- 

 eatcher." This shrub is the Befaria pank.vlula of Mi- 

 chaux*. The inliabitanls collect branches of ii, when it is 

 in flower, and hang them up in their roon)s, and find the 

 flowers of very great use to them in ridding them of flies : 

 he nee its name, which I h;u-e mentioned, and the only one, 

 so far as i can learn, by which it is recognised m its native 

 counirv. 



I am not sufficiently acquainted with tnis plant to sav, 

 with certainty, by what power it is that it catches, entan- 

 gles, or destroys the flies; whether by a contractile or irri- 

 table property, residing in some of the parts or oriians of 

 the flowers; whether by the glutinous quality which be- 

 longs 10 the flowers; or whether by a deleterious quality 

 belonging to the nectar of the flower. I may, hoaever, 

 •observe in this place, that the Bejuiia is one of the veiTeia- 

 bles froiri which the bees in the countries of Florida, &c. 

 are thought to procure a narcotic or deleterious honev. 

 Siill I sutpcci that the nmscipulating facuttv of this plant 

 W'lll be found to be <nving to a peculiar mechanism 3 that 



• Befaria (vonirxUaln) r.inii- hi;pidiss!mis : foliis ovali-lnnccolatis. glabris: 

 pauitnU »obapliyllA, niulufltir.'i, glunuoi*. — I\uia, act. torn. i. p. 2S0. tab. 26. 



