Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-07-09
CarnivOr0us Plants.

4 +.
| Carnivorous Plants.
THE happiest incident of this last jaunt
was the acquisition of that wonder In the
vegetable world, the Dionaa Muscipula
or Venus Flv-trap. It was only a dried
specimen, for the plant is a native OF but
single locality on the face of the globe
the low, sandy savarnas near Wilmington,
North Carolina 1t belongs to the smaH
but remarkable class of plants which have
the habit of feeding upon animals In
short, it is that phenomenon IN nature,
carnauoroats vegetable, which will not Hour
ish unless nurtured upon meat diet Inc
peculiar ingenuity of the contrlvance by
which it captures its prey is the dIst1n-
gushing characteristic Of this species.
Each leaf is tipped with al appendage
shaped like the open covers OF book With
the corners rounded and the edges fringed
with stiff bristles. This proves deadly
trap to every insect that alights on it, for
instantly, on feeling the irritation, it shuts
together as if by spring along the mid
rib, and, interlacing the bristles, holds the
luckless victim tight until his struggles
and life cease together. But this trick OF
fy-catching is not practiced for wanton-
ness merely Strangest part OF all the pro
ceeding, as soon as the insect is enclosed
in this living prison, from numerous MI
mute glands immersed in the texture OF the
| walls, the saliva-like liquid, a sort of gas
trio Juice, is given out that moistens and
| dissolves all its soft parts, which are then
| taken into the system of the plant by alb
sorption. When the nutritive portions of
| the insect have thus been consumed, the
| trap slowly uncloses and is ready for an
other action This process is repeated
with rapidity but once or twice, for, as IN
| all cases where plants have the capacity
of motion, the sinews of the leaf grow stiff
with age, it loses it's sensibilities and grad
ually decays. -
The Dionaa can be cultivated with sue
cess for a time in the Conservatives, and
under such conditions has been the sub
iect of good deal of interesting study.
One practiced observer, noticing that his
specimens languished, conjectured that it
was owing to the absence of insects in the
place they were kept, and their consequent
lack of animal food. He therefore laid
morsels of fresh beef on the lids of the
traps which Immediately closed, exuded
the gastric fluid, dissolved the meat and
absorbed the juices, going through with
the process of digestion exactly as when
an insect has been captured. The opera
disclosed little dried balls Of refuse from
which every atom of nourishment had
been extracted. It is asserted by experts
who have carefully watched the action of
these traps that they refuse to close when
touched with bit of chalk, pencil point
or any other inorganic substance, showing
sensitiveness only in the contact of any
animal body. Does this indicate instinct,
the power of intelligent discrimination, or
simply nervous sensibility? Truly, in
view of this and other extraordinary fac
ulties which some highly organized spe-
cies possess, the question may we'll be
suggested, "Have plants souls?''
Within thirty miles of Chicago, in a
Doggy spot near the lake shore, there grow
a couple of species of the Droseia or Sun
Dew, which belong to the same family as
the Dionaa and have a similar carnivor-
Gus habit, though practicing it with diff
ferent sort Of machinery. The entire leaf
of the Droseia acts as trap and is COW
cred with bristles, each tipped with a
gland from which OozeS a drop Of clear
liquid that glistens like dew, but remains
long after the sun has dried the moisture
from every other vegetable surface These
drops are the lures by which unsuspecting
insects are beguiled to their death. En-
llC0u W SIl QOWu W II Sc6IuIuS iOl
nectar, they approach the deceptive globes,
which glue their wings and feet with a
viscid slime, and extrication is impossible.
The surrounding bristles, relentless instru-
ments of destruction, slowly bend inward
until their glutinous tips are fastened in
the helpless Insects body, the entire leaf
closes in around him, and his end is as
certain as if he were caught in
spiders meshes. His juices are
sucked dry, his bones are picked, and
when in the course Of day.or two those
bristles relax their murderous grasp and
the leaf reopens, only his wings and empty
pelt are left to tell the tale of his CHASTITY
fate He has been chewed, swallowed,
and digested as literally as if an animal
with teeth had crushed him between its
| jaws and pressed him down the esopha-
gus. have opened many of these little
Broseia traps and found their wretched
victims in various stages of consumption.
There are still other plants that entice
insects into their ingenious snares for the
sake& Of fattening upon their remains.
The pitcher plants drown their dupes in
cups which are deceitfully held up for
them to enter in and drink, but out of
which they rarely come alive. Their de
caying bodies enrich the fluid they died
to taste, and the ghoulish plant grows fat
on the broth which they were entrapped
to Chicago Cor. Minneapolis T1s6-
| at7le. 1#E#E