THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 
29 
position. Often a tentacle will not begin to move until ten 
seconds after it is touched, and in from one to four hours it 
will be completely deflexed. Strangely enough, however, 
drops of water have no effect upon the movement of these 
dewey hairs. Darwin once studied these plants and fed them 
beef steak, and they accepted it as intelligently as they would 
have received crawling insects. 
The whole plant is unique, of a light green, varigated 
with carmine. In July it produces a spike of insignificant 
white flowers. The spike is generally one-sided, and not more 
than one full grown flower appears to bloom at a time. This is 
always topmost on the spike, and opens only in the sunshine. 
Another common species of Drosera is slender, and produce 
thread-like leaves which curl in upon themselves, with scarcely 
any distinction between the stalk and the leaf blade. 
The southern venus fly-trap (Dionaea muscipula) , closely 
related to Dresera, is noted for the irritability of its leaves, 
which close quickly at the least touch. The leaves are basal 
in a rosette, as in the round-leaved sundew. The trap portion 
consists of two jaws at the end of the leaves. Sharp, brist- 
ling, stiff, thorny hairs are set about the outer edges of these 
jaws like comb teeth. These tentacles secrete no viscid juices 
to attract, or hold the insect. The hairs on the inner surface 
of these lobes are acutely sensitive, and the slightest touch of 
buzzing wings causes the jaws of the trap to fly together like 
the cover of a book. The outer comb teeth bristles interlock, 
shutting off all possibility of exit for the fly. He is caught 
before he is aware of danger. Small insects often escape, 
before the teeth close against them. In the prisoner's 
struggles he disturbs the interior bristles, and the jaws of 
the trap tightly enfold him. At the same instant a digestive 
fluid is poured out from the leaf, and the trap remains locked 
until the insect is digested, when the lobes of the jaws relax. 
