NEMOPHILA 



NEPENTHES 



1067 



best results have been attained by growing them in 

 pots in a cool greenhouse. Nemophilas are said to 

 do beautifully outdoors in Maine, where the summer is 

 cooler and moister. In Scotland, Nemophilas are es- 

 teemed most delightful garden plants. An odd thing 

 about Nemophilas is that cats are extremely fond of 

 rolling in them as they do in catnip. 



ROBERT CAMERON. 



A. Lvs. mostly alternate, all with an ear-shaped and 



clasping base or ivinged petiole. 



aurita, Lindl. Stem 1-3 ft. long, weak, with stiff, re- 

 curved bristles by which the plant tends to climb: Ivs. 

 deeply cut above into 5-9 oblong or lanceolate segments, 

 which are usually turned back: later fls. not accom- 

 panied by Ivs., and hence appearing to be in loose ra- 

 cemes; corolla about 1 in. broad, violet. Low, shady 

 grounds. Calif. B.R. 19:1601. 



AA. Lvs. all opposite, base not ear-shaped. 

 B. Scaly appendages on throat of corolla narrow. 

 Menziesii, Hook. & Arn. (N. atomdria, Fisch. & Mey. 

 N.discbidalis, Lem.). Stem straggling, succulent: Ivs. 

 pinnatifid, the lobes ovate, nearly entire, slightly hairy: 

 fls. light blue to nearly white, marked with dark brown 

 spots towards the center. Low grounds, western Amer. 

 B.R. 23:1940. B.M. 3774. P.M. 5:99. V. 2:267. -Under 

 cult, the species has given rise to var. discoidalis (N. 

 discdidalis, Lem.), in which the spots on the corolla are 

 confluent into a large, brownish purple eye. Garden 

 forms of this are : var. vittata, velvety black margined 

 with white (Gn. 9:232) ; var. 61egans (N. atomdria, var. 

 elegans, Hort. ), fls. pure white, with chocolate center 

 (V. 2:268), and var. oculata, white, with purple center. 



BB. Scaly appendages very broad or roundish. 



c. Fls. blue, with white center. 



phacelioides, Barton. Leaf segments obtuse, margin 

 slightly ciliate : lower Ivs. narrowed into a short petiole ; 

 lobes notched at end : corolla bell-shaped. Western N. 

 Amer. B.R. 9:740. B.M. 2373. 



cc. Fls. white, with a purple blotch at the tip of 



each lobe. 



maculata, Benth. Lvs. lyre-shaped, the 5-9 short 

 lobes obtuse, entire; upper Ivs. wedge-shaped, some- 

 times only 3-lobed: fls. 1-2 in. wide, showy; sometimes 

 the purple blotch is poorly defined. Common in west- 

 ern and central Calif . P.M. 16:6. F. 8.5:431. R. H 

 !StO:201. V.2:267.-Good garden forms of this are var. 

 albida and var. grandifldra. Var. variegata has varie- 

 gated leaves. 



coc. Fls. vivid blue (pure white or lilac in vars.). 



insignia, Benth. Fig. 1466. Lvs. pinnately parted into 

 7-9 oblong segments, which are sometimes 2-3-lobed or 

 toothed: fls. %-l in. wide. Low ground, Calif. B.R. 

 20:1713. B.M. 3485. P.M. 3: 151. V. 2:268; 5:168; 8:215. 

 There are many garden varieties of this desirable 

 species. Among these are var. grandifldra, with large, 

 clear blue fls. (Gt. 34:370); var. Alba, fls. pure white; 

 var. marginata, fls. blue, edged with white. 



S. W. FLETCHER. 



NlSNGA (Malayan name). Palmacece. Two or three 

 species of Malayan palms, one of which is cult, as 

 Areca pumila. In Areca, however, the ovule is erect 

 and fastened at the base, while Nenga belongs to a large 

 group in which the ovule is fastened on the side and 

 more or less pendulous. Nenga is distinguished from 

 the 5 cultivated genera of this group (which are listed 

 under Hedyscepe) by the following characteristics : 

 staminate fls. with narrow sepals much surpassing the 

 petals; stamens 6; anthers erect. Nengas are graceful 

 spineless palms with erect, slender, ringed trunks: Ivs. 

 terminal, equally pinnatisect; segments linear, acumi- 

 nate or obliquely 2-fid or 3-fid; margins folded back at 

 the base; primary nerves sparsely scaly below; rachis 

 3-sided; petiole short; sheath cylindrical, strongly ob- 

 lique at the throat: spadix with a short peduncle and 

 slender pendent branches: spathes 2, the lower sym- 

 metrical, lanceolate, folded, 2-crested, the upper un- 

 symmetrical, persistent, or lacking : bracts 3-fld. ; 

 bractlets scaly: fls. white: fr. ellipsoidal, smooth, red- 

 dish orange. 



Wendlandiana, Scheff (Areca pumila, Blume). Stem 

 10-20 ft. high, 2-3 in. in diam. : Ivs. 8-9 ft., pinnate 

 nearly to the base; pinnae alternate, ensiform, acumi^ 

 nate, 2% ft. long, %-!% in. wide, bright green, cori- 

 aceous, 2-ribbed; petiole slender; sheath sub-ventri- 

 cose, 2 ft. long. Java. JARED a SMITH> 



NEOTTdPTEBIS. Consult Thamnopteris . 



NEPENTHES (name explained below). Nepenthacece. 

 About 35 species of insectivorous pitcher plants 

 which rank among the wonders of the vegetable king- 

 dom. The word Nepenthes occurs in the Odyssey, 

 where Helen threw a drug into the wine which was sup- 

 posed to free men from grief, anger and all ills. In de- 

 scribing one of these pitcher plants, Linnaeus said: "If 

 this is not Helen's Nepenthes, it certainly will be for 

 all botanists. What botanist would not be filled with 

 admiration if, after a long journey, he should find this 

 wonderful plant ? In his astonishment past ills would 

 be forgotten when beholding this admirable work of 

 the Creator." 



There are about 35 species of Nepenthes, all tropical 

 and mostly Malayan. They are all remarkably alike, 

 and different from anything else in the world. They 

 are probably supported in part by animal matter which 

 is caught in their pitchers. The fluid in the bottom of 

 the pitchers is largely secreted by the plants and is com- 

 parable to the gastric juice. It helps to decompose and 

 digest the food. The glands which secrete this digestive 

 fluid may be seen with the aid of a hand-lens. This 

 fluid is used by the natives of Borneo as a remedy for 

 indigestion, as fresh ripe figs are often used. It has 

 been analyzed and found to contain pepsin. It is se- 

 creted before the lids open, even in the baby pitchers, 

 and the lid is believed to keep the rain from diluting 

 the viscid fluid. 



It is supposed that insects are attracted by nectar 

 glands situated near the mouth of the pitchers, and per- 

 haps also by the odor of the fluid. Later, the odor of 

 decomposing flies is thought to attract flesh-eating in 

 sects, and thus a second harvest is secured. One spe- 

 cies is said to be still further specialized in its tastes. 

 Burbidge relates that N. Veitchii, from its peculiar 

 habit of growing on dead trees, catches mainly such* 

 beetles and boring insects as exist in decayed timber, 

 and ants innumerable. There is, however, a species of 

 ant which outwits one of the pitcher plants; viz., N. 

 bicalcarata. This ant's object is water, and to obtain 

 this it bores a hole through one of the large sugar-se- 

 creting glands of the stalk behind the pitcher, just 



