ON PITCHER AND INSECTIVOROUS PLANTS. 635 



roots remain dormant for the greater part of the year, coming 

 into activity again with the first rains. The ornamental leaves 

 are clothed with numerous hairs, which when exposed to strong 

 light turn -to a bright red. At the apex of each of these hairs 

 there is a globular drop of fluid, to which small flies that may 

 chance to get into contact with it become affixed in the same 

 manner as bird-lime acts. Insects thus caught rarely escape 

 with their lives, and may be generally found dead on the native 

 D. rotundifolia (Fig. 410), which is commonly met with wherever 

 sphagnum is found growing, and in boggy places. In the latter 

 positions, where the water becomes low in summer, the bright 

 red colour, to which they then turn, is most attractive when the 

 sun is shining full upon them. In the Fenlands of Norfolk 

 especially they are most prominent. 



The culture of the Droseras is in most cases easily provided 

 for. The cool temperature of a greenhouse or cold frame meets 

 their requirements through the warm months of the year. The 

 Cape and Australian species require a cool intermediate tem- 

 perature of about 5odeg. during the winter season. For potting 

 the compost required is equal proportions of peat and living 

 sphagnum, to which may be added a liberal sprinkling of rough 

 silver-sand and some chopped partly- decayed leaves, the whole 

 being pressed moderately firm. The pots most suitable should 

 be judged by the size and strength of the plants. Drainage 

 should be clean and ample. The best time to pot the plants is 

 about the first week in March. 



The stock of Droseras may be increased by divisions of the 

 crowns, or from seed, which should be sown as soon as procured. 

 The latter may be sprinkled on baskets or pots on a sweet surface 

 of growing sphagnum* in a good light position. An Orchid 

 pot or basket is admirable for- the purpose. But by far the 

 best way, especially with the warm-growing D. binata, is to 

 chop the roots of strong plants into pieces about ^in. long. 

 These should be laid evenly on the surface of a pot containing 

 sandy peat-soil and leaf-mould, and the roots lightly covered 

 with the same material, after adding a little chopped living 

 sphagnum. They should be watered thoroughly with soft rain- 

 water, covered with a bell-glass, and placed in a warm, moist 

 position of the Warm house or propagating-stove. In the course 

 of a few days they will commence to emit new growths from 

 the sides of the roots, which quickly gain the surface, and may 

 be pricked out in pots, as desired, as soon as they are large 

 enough to handle, being gradually hardened off, so as to be placed 

 in the cooler temperature under which it is generally found 

 desirable to grow them. Droseras need an abundance of rain- 

 water during the growing season ; if hard water is used the 

 sphagnum quickly dies and causes the material to turn sour 

 and decay, necessitating repotting of the plants without delay. 



