174 HOME STUDIES IN NATURE. 



Chapter XI. 



DROSERA. 



The Droseras are low marsh herbaceous plants, and 

 over the leaves are thickly scattered reddish bristles or 

 tentacles, each surmounted with a gland -that exudes 

 clear drops of an extremely viscid fluid that sparkles in 

 the sunlight like dew, hence the common name of sun- 

 dew. The flower scape is smooth — entirely free from 

 tentacles, and has a one-sided raceme, the flowers open- 

 ing only in the sunshine. 



Dr. Gray mentions four species found at the North. 

 Two of these — D. rotundifolia and D. longifolia — have 

 a wide range, being indigenous to both Europe and 

 America. In the United States they extend from ISTew 

 England to Florida and westward. D. Jilifonnis is 

 confined, so far as known, to the United States near 

 the coast, from Massachusetts to Florida. It grows in 

 wet sand. D. linearis, with which I am not familiar, 

 grows about Lake Superior. Dr. Chapman describes 

 two additional species peculiar to the Southern States — 

 D. capillaris and D. hrevifolia. 



All of the species above mentioned, with the excep- 

 tion of D. linearis, I have closely observed in their hab- 



