OTHEE METHODS OF OBTAINING FOOD 193 



glands with their drops of mucilage, the name of the plant, 

 sundew, is derived. When an insect alights upon the leaf 

 it is entangled in the secretion, and, struggling to be free, is 

 brought into contact with more and more of the drops, be- 

 coming hopelessly captured. The stimulus of contact pro- 

 vokes a movement of the stalked glands, all of which slowly 

 bend over and bring their viscid heads to bear upon the 

 struggling insect. The same disturbance causes an outflow 



FIG. 96. LEAF^OF Dioncea muscipula. 



I, open ; 2, closed ; 3, one of the sensitive spines^( x [50) ; 4, glands 

 on the surface of the leaf ( x 100). 



of acid enzyme-containing secretion, which surrounds the 

 prey, and digestion and absorption follow as before. After 

 a time the glands unfold again and resume their normal 

 attitude, and the leaf is ready to receive another visitor. 



Dionaea affords an instance in which the movement of 

 capture is effected with greater rapidity. Like most of the 

 insectivorous plants it possesses a rosette of leaves which 

 rest upon the ground, and from the centre of the rosette 

 it gives off a single inflorescence. The leaves are very 



18 



