Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1869-06-14
THE GAZETTE.
uAoNDAY EVENING, JUNE IA


a WoNpERFDL ELowER.-"Come with me
sir come A flower very large and beautiful,
wonderful H'zexclsined q Malay, who drew the
attention Of DR., Alkold to flower remarkable
alike for itsan6nialtns structure and habit
Aud he surprise sf the Malay was nothing TO
that Of DE sGnoA and his CONF anions, Sir
Stapfosd s44S{Ady Raffias, when, following
their .natiS4 lfaS2ant, they saw among the
bushes a flower apparently spring
ing otfeEths dahd. without either stem or
leaf, aud neegnriag q least a yard in diameter.
The first news Of this remarkable discovery
createda great amount of curiosity IN Europe,
and no papers ever read at the Enn9an Society
can be compared, for the interest they excited,
with those in which the illustrious Robert
Brown described this wonder OF the vegetable
world. 1t is composed of five roundlsh leaves
ar petals each foot across. OF brick-red
color, but covered with numerous irregular ye!-
lowish swellings The petals surround large
,eup nearly foot wide, the margin OF which
bears the stamens; and this cup is filled with
feshy disc, the upper surface OF which is
covered with curved projections, like minia-
ture cows horns. The cup, when freed from
Its contents would hold about twelve pints OF
water. The flower weighs fifteen pounds. 1t
is very thick; the, petals being from one to
A flower of such, dimensions and weight
might be expected to be treasure to the per.
iumer; but alas its odor is ike that Of tainted
beef DR.. Arnold supposed that oven the
flies that swarmed over the flower when he dis
coveredit were deceived by the smell and were
iepositiDg their eggs in its thick disc, taking it
for piece OF carront Another cause of won
der to the little band Of explorers who discov-
cred it was that they could find no leaves con-
nected with it, 1t sprang from small leaHess,
creeping stem, about as thick rs two fingers
Now, apaant without leaves is like an animal
without stomach, for leaves are to the plants
what the stomach IS to the animal; they sep
arate from the air what is needed for the
growth.ot the plant.
There are, however, strange plants which
are actually leafess, making up for this want
by using the leaves Of others. Such plants are
called parasites, because they feed on the
nutritivc juices of Others. Thrusting their
roots into the living tissues OF other plants, In
stead Of into the earth, they appropriate the
prepared food Of these plants, and at onceiap-
ply it for their own purposes, for the produc-
zion of stem. flower or fruit. The gigantic
Rstlesia belongs to this class. Without YES
tige,of foliage, it rules at once from the long,
slender stems of one Of the wild vines Of SUI
instantaneous climbers. which are attached
hike cables to the large trees of the forest. The
buds push through the bark like little battons,
continuing to grow until they have the ASPECT
OF large closed cabbages, and in about three
months after their first appearance the flower
expands. 1t remains but short time in per
lection, soon beginning to rot, leaving only the
central disc, which becomes large, rough
fruit. filled with mutitudes OF small seeds
World of Wonders