42 THE BOOK OF NATURE STUDY 



should be attended to. If one is pulled away from the stem 

 it will be found to consist of a flattened base, a fairly long leaf- 

 stalk, and the small and almost circular leaf -blade. Just where 

 the sheath joins the stalk a number of narrow pointed scales 

 extend across the upper surface like a ligule, and similar structures 

 are found on the margins of the sheath. The scales are believed 

 to collectively correspond to the stipules, which are thus joined 

 across the upper surface of the leaf-base. The cylindrical leaf- 

 stalk has a narrow wing to either side, and widens gradually into 

 the leaf-blade. Its upper surface bears a number of fine hairs. 

 The circular blade has a pale green colour. The lower surface is 

 smooth, but its margins and the upper surface are covered with 

 peculiar hair-like organs or tentacles. The marginal tentacles 

 are much longer than those in the centre of the leaf, and their stalks 

 have a red colour. The cylindrical stalk tapers from the base, 

 and supports an oval reddish glandular head. When the plant 

 is growing healthily this gland is surrounded by a transparent 

 secretion, which forms a glistening drop. The secretion is sticky 

 and viscid, and pulls out into long threads if the leaf is touched 

 and the finger gently withdrawn. The appearance of the drops of 

 secretion glistening in the sunlight has given the plant its popular 

 name. The tentacles gradually diminish in length on passing 

 inwards from the margin, and the centre of the blade is occupied 

 by short straight tentacles with greenish stalks (Plate, Fig. 3). 



Within the rosette of expanded leaves we come to young 

 unfolding leaves. These take up a peculiar position in the bud, 

 the blade being rolled inwards from either side and the whole 

 blade bent down against the stalk. 



The plant bears one or several inflorescences in the axils of the 

 foliage-leaves. The inflorescence has a long slender bare stalk, on 

 which the flowers appear as if borne laterally. Each flower has a 

 small narrow bract at its base. The flowers face to one side of 

 the inflorescence, which when its development is followed will 

 be found to be a cymose one. The small flowers are only 

 rarely found fully open. The calyx consists of five narrow green 

 sepals united at the base. Narrow white petals alternate with 

 the stamens, and further in come five stamens. The pistil in the 

 centre of the flower consists of an egg-shaped ovary surmounted 



