ORGANOTOPIC PLANTS. 
H5 
two to five inches in height, and very slender. The flow¬ 
ers are purple, small, solitary and set transversely on the 
summit of the scape ; whence the specific name, resupinata. 
I have found this beautiful little plant only once, in a 
very dry season. It was then abundant and I collected a 
good supply of specimens. These were destroyed, with 
the rest of the herbarium of the Institute, in the recent fire. 
It will be a rare piece of good fortune if the conditions shall 
favor a similar collection during the coming summer. 
But how can these pretty, innocent looking things be 
classed with the carnivorous plants ? Perhaps the terres¬ 
trial species may give no sign of a predatory habit; but if 
one of the aquatic species is closely examined it will be 
noticed that numerous little, translucent, bladder-like sacs 
averaging one-tenth of an inch in diameter, are borne at 
various points on the finely divided leaves. The question 
at once arises, what are these bladders for ? It was at first 
supposed that their office was solely to float the leaves. 
But it was soon found that leaves which had no bladders 
attached to them floated just as well by means of the air 
which fills the intercellular spaces. Further investigation 
show r ed that the bladders themselves contained the remains 
of small animals, and careful observation soon proved that 
these remains did not come there by accident, for living 
animals were seen to enter. Now, if they were free to en¬ 
ter, were they not also free to depart ? So a watch was 
kept, and it was found that although the poor creatures 
could get in they could not get out! So, next, the en¬ 
trance to the bladder was examined, and there was discov¬ 
ered the neatest little trap-door imaginable. It opened 
most beautifully inward and closed most maliciously out¬ 
ward, as if, in a swing door between dining room and kit¬ 
chen, the dooi should swing freely at a push from the kit¬ 
chen side, but lap over the jamb on the dining room side, 
so that it would have to be pulled open from that side. 
