48 THE LEAF 



within the other, forming a bundle several feet long, on 

 the inside of which there is a hollow cavity, capable of hold- 

 ing a quart of water. The rain, during the wet season, fall- 

 ing on the spreading leaves, runs down in their small channels 

 into this cavity, or bottle, and as the leaves touch each other 

 on all sides, evaporation is almost entirely prevented. The 

 water is therefore retained until the dry season, when it often 

 affords timely relief to the thirsty traveller, in the hottest 

 and driest parts of South America and the West Indies. The 

 traveller, Dampier, speaking of this plant, says, " we stick 

 our knives into the leaves just above the root, and that lets 

 out the water, which we catch in our hats, as I have done 

 many times to my great relief." 



Sarracenia. We have one native plant growing in the peat 

 bogs of New England, whose leaves hold water. This is the 

 Side-saddle flower. Its botanical name is Sarracenia, which 

 is derived from Dr. Sarazin, of Quebec, who first sent it to 

 Europe about 1752. Its common name is derived from the 

 resemblance of its stigma to a woman's pillion. The stem rises 

 a foot high, and bears a singular, but beautiful purple flower. 

 The leaves, which are hollow, are from four to eight to each 

 root, and surround the stem like radii from a centre, and rest on 

 the ground. They are of an oblong form, swelling in the 

 middle, and gradually contracting to form the foot-stalk. 

 Their open mouths, which are of considerable size, are some- 

 what elevated, and contracted at the border, so that in the 

 natural position they retain the water when nearly full. 

 And on the lower side of the mouth there is a broad spread- 

 ing appendage, which catches the water and directs it into 

 the cup. These cups contain a wine glass of water, and 

 unless pierced by some insect, are seldom empty. 



ARMS, OR APPENDAGES OF PLANTS. 



Besides the essential parts of a perfect plant, such as the 

 Root, Stem, Leaves, <fcc., many species are furnished with 

 Arms, or Append'ages, which are peculiar to themselves, and 

 are entirely wanting in other species. These appendages, 

 Linnaeus called Fulcra, or props, though this name applies 

 only to such of them as help to sustain or support the plant. 

 The number of these appendages commonly enumerated, is 



Whence does the plant Sarracenia derive its two names ? What are the 

 peculiarities of the side-saddle flower ? What are meant by the arms or 

 appendages of plants ? 



