SARRACEXIA 



study in the past three decades. All are perennial 

 rhizomatous plants, that produce three to eight 

 pitchered leaves in spring, and in some species (S. 

 Drummondii, S. psiUacina) another set of these, or of 

 flat green leaves (S.flai'a, S. Sledgei), in autumn. When 

 grown in sunny situations, the pitchered leaves are 

 often richly mottled with crimson or white; sometimes 

 even the entire leaf may be of a dark crimson-purple 

 hue, and correspondingly attractive. Minute honey- 

 glands occur over the exterior, which forms therefore the 

 "alluring surface." But these are specially abundant 

 over the inner lid surface, where they are interspersed 

 with down-directed hairs that incline insects to move 

 on to the upper part of the tube. So this inner lid area 

 has been termed the "attractive surface." The upper 

 third to half of the tube is extremely smooth, and 

 affords little foothold for insects, which often tumble 

 from it into the pitcher cavity. So this has been called 

 the "conducting surface." Beneath it in S. purpwrea is a 

 wide glandular surface that is absent in the other 

 species, although in some of them glands scattered 



SARRACEXIA 



3079 



3549. Josselyn's picture, slightly reduced, of the 

 "Hollow Leaved Lavender," 1672. 



amongst fine hairs may occur. This area excretes a 

 slightly viscous juice, which accumulates in the pitcher 

 cavity, and which, as Mellichamp showed, readily wets 

 and drowns any insect that falls into it. The lowest 

 part of the pitcher in all species bears long delicate 

 down-directed hairs that effectually prevent upward 

 passage of insects, and so has been called the "detentive 

 surface." The seven species van,- in their carnivorous 

 capacity, S. flora, S. Sledgei, and S. Drumrnondii being 

 best; 5. minor (S. variolaris) , S. purpurea, and S. rubra 

 being rather poor; while S. psittacina, with its small flat 

 pitchers, catches relatively few. The insect prey is not 

 digested, but its dissolved material is either absorbed 

 by the pitcher walls, or rotting inside the decaying 

 leaves, affords valuable nitrogenous food for the roots. 

 But an over-abundant animal diet often causes brown- 

 ing and decay of the leaves, so that some gardeners 

 have advised plugging with cotton wadding. 



The pendent flowers vary in size from an inch to 3 



inches across, and in color from pale lemon-yellow, as 

 in S. minor, to deep crimson, as in S. Drumrnondii and 

 S. rubra. Each lasts from eight to twelve days. The 

 five spreading sepals inside three small bracteoles are 

 more or less petaloid; the petals are large pendent 

 banners, the stamens are numerous and discharge 

 abundant pollen which early falls into the umbrelloid 

 cavity of the style. The pistil consists of a five-celled 

 ovary that is covered outside by crystalline nectar- 

 secreting warts, and within bears "many ovules; a style 

 that expands above into a large umbrelloid structure 

 with five marginal notches, at the base of each of which 

 is a minute dry peg-like stigma. The entire pistil after 

 pollination matures in about three months into a many- 

 seeded capsule. Cross-pollination seems always to be 

 necessary for formation of good seeds. This act, as well 

 as hybridization of distinct species, can readily be 

 effected if pollen from one flower that has been wetted 

 by nectar from its ovarian surface be placed on the dry 

 stigma of a flower on another plant. AU of the seven 

 species cross readily with each other, alike in the wild 

 state and under cultivation, if flowers mature about 

 the same time. Thus at various localities in western 

 Florida and in Alabama, where the tall handsome 

 species S. flava, S. Drumrnondii, and S. Sledgei grow, the 

 writer has found hybrids at times to be nearly as abun- 

 dant as either parent. The numerous artificial hybrids 

 between the species, that are themselves fertile and 

 give rise to second hybrids in which the characters of at 

 least three parents may be blended, also testify to ease 

 of hybridization. The seeds germinate readily in about 

 four weeks if sown with chopped sphagnum moss on a 

 moist sandy muck. After production of the linear 

 cotyledons, each seedling plant forms pitchered leaves 

 that successively increase in size till good specific 

 characters are shown by the second year. 



The larvae of certain moths, flies, and beetles at times 

 prey on the pitchers, while the rhizomes may be 

 excavated and destroyed by still another type. Care- 

 ful detection and destruction of the infested leaves or 

 pieces of rhizome are recommended. Mosquitos also 

 may breed in the liquid of the pitchers of <S. purpurea. 

 All of the species succeed well under cultivation if 

 grown in pots filled with fine sandy muck, from which, 

 while decaying, humic acid constituents are evolved. 

 Alkaline waters are always detrimental. In this respect 

 they require the same treatment as do other swamp or 

 semi-swamp plants of the eastern states. They should 

 also have a bright sunny southeastern exposure, should 

 be kept near the glass if grown in greenhouses, and the 

 pots should stand permanently in about an inch of 

 water. All can endure a temperature that approaches 

 the freezing-point in winter. 



The writer has monographed the genus in Engler's 

 "Pflanzenreich," Vol. 4, No. 110 (hft. 34, 1908). A 

 useful synopsis, along with some helpful figures, was 

 given by Masters in 1881 (G.C. II. 15, 16. 1881). 



The sarracenias have always excited the interest of 

 the curious, and many of the native haunts have been 

 depleted. In his "New England's Rarities," 1672, 

 Josselyn gives a picture (Fig. 3549) of what he calls the 

 "Hollow Leaved Lavender," and the following account 

 of the plant we now call Sarracenia purpurea: It "is a 

 Plant that grows in salt Marshes overgrown with Moss, 

 with one straight stalk about the bigness of an Oat 

 straw, better than a Cubit high; upon the top standeth 

 one fantastical Flower, the Leaves grow close from the 

 root, in shape like a Tankard, hollow, tough, and 

 alwayes full of Water, the Root is made up of many 

 small strings, growing only in the Moss, and not in the 

 Earth, the whole Plant comes to its perfection in 

 August, and then it has Leaves, Stalks, and Flowers as 

 red as blood, excepting the Flower which hath some 

 yellow admixt. I wonder where the knowledge of this 

 Plant hath slept all this while, i. e. above Forty 

 Years." 



