ON THE CULTURE OF DIONiEA MUSCIPULA. 
251 
The Dioncea Muscipula , or Venus’s Flytrap, is naturally an 
inhabitant of marshy spots in Carolina, from whence it was 
brought in 1788; but, notwithstanding the length of time it 
has been known to us, is still rather scarce, from the circum¬ 
stance which operates in the case of other rare plants — its 
culture not being understood. The name fly-trap conveys an 
idea of the curious mechanical powers of the plant, which it 
never fails to exercise on every unfortunate delinquent that 
may happen to intrude within the sphere oi its action. It is 
not necessary to enter into an anatomical digression to explain 
the cause of this action, or to broach the physiological question 
as to the object to be gained by the plant, thus imprisoning to 
death the unconscious insect, first tempted within its clasp by 
the sweet vinous liquid exuded from the epidermis of the 
foliage, further than briefly to mention the manner and pro¬ 
bable actuating cause. The petiole, or leaf-stalk, is flattened, 
elongated, and winged, and, like the whole plant, remarkable for 
the number of hairy processes distributed over it: the leaf 
proper is nearly round when extended horizontally, but rising 
from the mid-rib on each side, in the form of two equal lobes, 
the margins of which are thickly set with strong hairs, and 
act in the manner of the teeth of a steel trap ; these lobes, 
immediately a fly, or any firm substance, touches the upper 
surface of the leaf, close tightly together over the unfortunate 
victim, which hold it retains so long as the cause remains. 
It has been plausibly represented that the probable object is, 
the furnishing the plant with ammonia arising from the decaying 
bodj" of the insect. 
The treatment proper for this little botanic curiosity is nearly 
allied to that usually adopted with the Indian class of Orchideae. 
Potted in a mixture of sphagnum and fibrous peat well mixed 
with a portion of charcoal distributed throughout the whole, 
and placed in a warm house with a liberal supply of water, but 
little trouble need be apprehended in its management: in 
potting, it should be kept an inch or two above the rim of the 
pot, and if the plant is small it should be covered with a bell 
glass until established, after which the covering may be dis¬ 
pensed with, for if continued too long there is some danger of 
the plant damping off. To propagate it, it is only necessary to 
take a portion of the leaves from close to the stem, and treated 
