The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-09-24
MEAT-EATING PLANTS.
some Very Eeuser :selsntino: Develop


At a recent meeting of the British
association, at Belfast, DIR. Hooker
submitted his views concerning "Some
! CarnivOrous Plants and their Habits, >
a topic which he observed had recently
acquired a new and special interest
from the researches of DIR. Darwin into
/ the phenomena that accompany the
| placing of albumiuous substances on
| che leaves of dionoa and other plants,
and which, in the opinion of very emil
| nent Psychologists, proved that, in the
/ case of dionea at least, this plant di-
gests exactly the same substances in ex-
actly the same way as the human stom-
ach. With these researches Mr.. Oar
win was still actively engaged, and it
was with the view of aiding him that
the president had, under Mr.. Darwin S
instructions, examined some other car
nivorous plants at Kew. After giving
the history of the subject, and men,
tioning that the. discovery made with
regard to these plants had long been
unnOticsd, DR.. Hooker exhibited a spe-
eincn of diones, which spread its
leaves out, and when fly was captured
instantly closed upon 1t. Examination
showed that the fly was dissolved in the
digestive figid, exactly like ordinary
gastric fluid, belonging to the leaf.
When the fly was completely dissolved
the leaf spread out again, ready once
more for its prey. A leaf of the dio-
nOea was fed with piece of beef, upon
which it closed, and did not open again
until the beef was consumed. Cheese
DISAGREED horribly with the leaves, I'm
ally killing them. The president ex-
hibited other carnivorous plants, and
explained the traps laid in the leaves
and appendages where the plants caught
their victims and fed themselves with
the animal food which came in their
way. Mineral substances had been
placed on a leaf which had shut upon a
fly or ant, but it showed no sign of con-
tracing. The fine hairs on the leaf
closed gently over piece of wet chalk,
but soon reopened, leaving the chalk
free. Before MIR. Darwin's studies
these phenomena were little appreei-
ated. It was a generalization, now al
most household word, that all living
things had common bond of union in
a substance which underlies all the de-
tails of structure. This was called pro-
toplasm. One of the most distinctive
properties was its aptitude to contract,
and in any given organism the particles
of protOplasm were SO arranged that
they acted as it were In concert. They
produced cumulative effects which were
We ry manifest in the results. Such q
was found in the contrac-
tion of muscle, and such a manifesto
tion they possibly had also IN the con
traction of the leaf of the dionRa. All
students of the vegetable side of or
ganized nature were astonished to hear
from DR.. Sauderson that certain exper-
iments which he had made at the insti- |
CATION of Mr.. Darwin, proved to demon
stration that when a leaf of this plant |
contracts the effects produced are pre-
cisely similar to those which occur when
muscle contracts. Not merely then
were the phenomena cf digestion in this |
wonderful plant like those of animals, |
but the phenomena of contraotihty |
agreed with those of animals also. |
the processes of plant nutri-
tion were in general extremely differ |
ent from those of animals, and involved |
very simple compounds, the protoplssm |
Of plants was not absolutely prohibited |
from availing itself of food such as that |
by which the protoplasm of animals are /
nourished. Under this point of view |
the phenomena of these plants would |
ind their place as one more link to the |
of nature.
Prof. Huxley said that the phenom-
ana described by DIR. Hooker suggested, |
with others, perhaps the greatest prob |
.em at present open to them. They
found in the dionBa actions which ex-
actIy corresponded with what were re-
dections in ourselves. The plant, when
the insect touched portion of its leaf,
shuts it exactly as an infant hand shuts
when touched in the palm. This i'm
piled a nervous system, and it showed
continuity in protoplastic matter. The
solution of the phenomena of the ac-
lion of protoplasm in the plant was a
matter which woHld confer great honor
1n him who found it.