290 Blue to Purple Flowers 



horrible slimy greasy secretion with which its leaves are 

 coated, and which renders them most repulsive to the touch. 



The Butterwort is carnivorous like the Sundew, and by 

 means of the colourless fluid secreted by the glandular hairs 

 covering the leaves it catches insects and the irritation 

 thereby set up causes the glands to exude an increased sup- 

 ply which becomes very acid and capable of digesting the 

 animal matter entrapped. Later the dissolved nitrogenous 

 matter is absorbed and assimilated by the plant. The But- 

 terwort resorts to these evil insectivorous practices in order 

 to obtain sufficient nitrogen for its nutriment, as it usually 

 grows in places where the soil is deficient in this respect. 



The flowers are of a rich purple colour, and are two-lipped, 

 the upper lip being cleft into two and the lower lip into three 

 lobes. These lobes are delicately veined and the lower ones 

 are covered with white hairs. The corolla terminates be- 

 hind in a long straight spur. The Butterwort always grows 

 near water, and usually in swamps or other very moist places. 



ONE-FLOWERED CANCER-ROOT 



Orobanche uniftora. Broom-rape Family 



Stems: one inch long, subterranean or nearly so. Leaves: none. 

 Flowers: solitary, without bracts, corolla with a long curved tube 

 spreading into two lips, five lobed, yellow bearded within. Fruit: 

 capsule elongated, egg-shaped, seeds numerous. 



The Orobanches are beautiful root-parasites, whom Na- 

 ture has rendered destitute of green foliage as a punishment 

 for their thievish ways of imbedding their roots in those of 

 honest plants, and thereby drawing nourishment from their 

 neighbours, instead of manufacturing it for themselves. 

 The One-flowered Cancer-root is stamped as a pirate by its 

 short scaly subterranean stem and brownish scape-like 



