210 THE SUNDEW FAMILY. 



THREAD=LEAVED SUNDEW. 



Drosera Jilifdrmis. 



FAMILY COLOUR ODOUR RANGE TIME OF BLOOM 



Sundew. Purple. Scentless. Florida to Massachusetts. June-September. 



Flozvers: large; numerous; growing in a one-sided raceme at the end of a high 

 glabrous scape. Calyx: five-parted; persistent; pubescent with brown hairs. 

 Petals: five; rounded; obovate. Stamens: five. Pistil: one. Capsule: three- 

 valved. Leaves : from the base; narrowly linear ; or thread-like ; coiled in the bud 

 and covered with glandular, brown hairs. 



Perhaps the most striking in appearance of this genus of fly-catchers is 

 the thread-leaved sundew, which unfolds a scorpion-like raceme of large 

 and truly handsome blossoms. Its leaves uncoil as do fern fronds, and in 

 the sunshine are seen to glimmer as with innumerable drops of dew. This 

 effect, however, is produced by a fluid exuded in tiny drops from the glandu- 

 lar hairs with which they are thickly beset. It lures and entangles the in- 

 sects in its sticky meshes until they disappear within the tight clutch of the 

 innumerable bristles bending towards the poor unfortunate. In low 

 sandy barrens this individual prefers to grow and as it stretches itself 

 upward among surrounding tufts of grass has quite a different look from 

 that of the bog species of sundews. A notable difference between the 

 plants collected in Florida and those of IMassachusetts is the greater luxury 

 of the former's growth. 



D. brevifblia, a miniature species of sundew, inhabits moist pine barrens 

 from Florida to North Carolina. It seldom grows over six inches high and 

 its wedge-shaped leaves are often but half an inch long. The flowers it 

 bears are white. 



D. rotiindifbliay dew-plant or round-leaved sundev^^ while being, perhaps, 

 the most common species and the one made famous by Mr. Darwin, must 

 always, it would seem, be searched for through our range as it rather evades 

 the sight, the leaves growing closely in a cluster about the base and spread- 

 ing out on the ground. Their blades are round and covered above with 

 irregular, reddish hairs and taper at the base into flat, pubescent petioles. 

 The glandular hairs exude a viscid substance, the peculiarity of the genus, 

 and from which it received its common name. As the rather small flowers 

 expand the scape unfolds. They are white and only open in the sunshine. 

 A most interesting phenomenon which has been observed in connection 

 with these plants is that sometimes after their season of bloom has passed 

 new ones are found produced from buds which appear on the surfaces or 

 edges of the old leaves. 



