J. M. Macfarlane. — Nepenthaceae. 



15 



resemble eacli other. The striking modification undergone by the epidermal cells of 

 the corrugated pitcher rim is described below. 



(b) The epidei'mal hairs vary greatly in structure and aspect. Such species as 

 N. bicalcarata, N. Northiana and N. ventricosa may be almost devoid of them, 

 other species have a greater or less abundance of one or two varieties, while some 

 may bear from three to five. The most widely distributed, and apparently the most 

 important physiologically, are the brown peltate hairs (Fig. 6). These may be slightly 

 raised above, or on a level with, or somewhat sunk below the level of the epidermis, 

 and they persist even in species that are destitute of other hair covering, as in N. 

 ventricosa. They often become prominent as small brown spots in herbarium specimens. 

 Each hair Springs from a sharply depressed part of the epidermis, and consists of a 

 stalk-cell of brown color that bears a rosette of 4, 8 or even 16 cells according to 

 the species studied. These rosette cells are level with the epidermis in most species, 



Fig. 6. Epidermal hairs of Nepenthes. A 1 Surface view, A- sidc view of brown peltate hair. 



B Brown rosette hair. C Brown branched hair. D Elongated brown hair. — E Clear thin-walled 



stellate hair of N. Vcitchii Hook. f. — F Hair of N. Burkei Masters. — 6, H Hairs of N. 



madagascariensis Poiret. (Icon. orig.) 



they may be equally abundant on both surfaces, or more abundant on the lower than 

 on the upper epidermis. From experimental evidence the writer considers that they 

 act as moisture absorbents, and so resemble the somewhat similar hairs of Tillandsia 

 and other Bromeliads. The soft young epidermal tissues of some species are covered 

 with protruding hairs, that are partially or wholly shed as the lamina matures, but in 

 other species the hairs persist. In the former case circular epidermal cells, often with 

 thickened brown walls, represent the region from which the hairs have dropped. 

 Rarely the hairs are simple and unicellular, usually they are multicellular. In N. ma- 

 dagascariensis, N. Burkei and N. ventricosa short thick-walled hairs of 2 — 4 cells 

 are frequent (Fig. %G) but interspersed with these are longer filiform hairs of 6 — 8 cells, 

 that are either cylindrical or branched. In N. albo-marginata three types are distinguish- 

 able, stellate hairs each made up of four long radiating thin-walled cells. These 

 are very abundant over some parts of the pitcher, and in a dense felted form make 



