74 PICIIER PLANT. 



The root is thick, solid, and tibrous. The tubular leaves are of 

 a reddish tinge on the ouier and convex side, but oC a delicate light 

 green w ithin. The texture is soft, smooth, and leathery ; the base 

 of the leaf, at the root, is narrow and pipe-stem like, expanding into 

 a large hollow leceptacle, capable of containing a wine-glass lull of 

 liquid ; even in dry seasons this cup is rarely lound empty. The 

 hollow form of the leaves, and the broad ewer-like lips, have ob- 

 tained for the plant its local and wide spread-r.ame of ''Pitcher 

 Plant," and " Soldier's Drinking Cup." The last name I had fVoni a 

 poor old emiqrrant pensioner, when he brought nie a specimen of the 

 plant fiom the banks of a half dried up lake, near which he was 

 located : " Many a draft of blessed water have we poor soldiers had 

 when in Egypt out of the leaves of a j)lant like this, and we used 

 to call them the 'Soldier's Drinking Cup.'" 



^lost probably the plant that afforded the blessed water to the 

 poor thristy soldiers was tlie Nrpcnihe thstillana, which plant is found 

 in Egypt and other parts of Africa. Perhaps there are but few 

 among the iidiabitants of this well-watered country that have as 

 fully aj)preciated the value of the Pitcher Plant as did our poor 

 uneducate<l Iribh pensioner, who said that he always thought that 

 God in His goodness had created the plant to give drink to such as 

 were athirst on a hot and toilsome march ; and so he looked with 

 gratitude and admiration (m its representative in Canada. Many a 

 lessoD may we learn from the lips of the poor and the lowly. 



Along the inner portion of the leaf there is a wing or flap 

 which adds to its curious appearance : from the section of the leaf has 

 arisen the somewhat inappropriate name of ' Side-Saddle Flower^ 

 The evident use of this appendage is to contract the inner side of 



