, 1877-05-19

John Crow OF tCarrion- Flower from the -
putrid stencil II c1hales. This flower is enc 1f
the largest known. This tube or bowl, about . =:
foot long ~ II hangs from tho vines. makes = :
ycry good Initiation Of the putchmah'A ch'nd Z
pipei butthe mouth Of the bowl turns forward, :
and expands eight or ten inches in diameter, ;;
and % from the s, lever n. edee Of thts dsnE1es
diseased liver. notwithstanding tts rllo odor :
and uncannY look. II is the most interesting Of
flowers. The tubs il dIEidctl Into three etatn-.
bers hv constructions and valves furnished with
backward. pointing bristte8, the whole forming !
treb1F guarded Gy.trap. 1he outer chamber !!
whieI. Insects enter, md, finding themselves :
eafsea 5,ss G ''s she 01s no eno TIC he0e ex.s
enthnele elt them when they =, turn buck,
second trap, IND INTO tho second chamber b.
yond., Finally tflcY find their way, through tho :
third and last trap, into the third chamber, and
here you will i!nd snal! flies and beetles by
what Is the object Of this evident contflVancef
The flower Is not insectvorous. Tho entrnpped
Insects arc always found alive and In good CON-
In iae., the last ons, which they must eventually
reach, and which also contains the floral
organs, secms 10 have been especially con-
triyed for their comfort and convenience. Its
spacious, .untncutnbcrcd With brist1cs, except.
II them renders escape Into tho preceding
chamber impossible: and, moreover, shout tho
oral a. of dns Ree'at s,es sa0nes
blosk IN the way Of the helfcyer In tho laws OF
fertilization. Al Prot. Gray would say,
this plant seems to he founded on the plan OF
umpl,antiy to III; Aristolachia rs q plant
which. with the Utmost ingenuity, has
provided for lnsuring self or close ferti'lzattor
| They had opened flowers In full bloom, found
fhnxz a.
oncd inseets skipping. atong the inner chamber,
completely tlusting Themselves aud Its walls
With the yellow grains The stfEmatlc surfaecs
an Srf fspSr pssn II oe aaa aa
pisti! wa. whitening. away. TIC fact Of sell
fertilization in this plant seemed proved. M
iurc, however. does not dlecfofe all her Sc
crcts on tho first inspection, and moro care.
full study nf this nowcr in ali tts sta9cs will
show that fts wonderful machinery Is cuntrived
solely for securing cEoss.terttlIzatIon through
tijize itselk IN fact, thc anti.crs md stigma in
any flower are ne,vr oPen al the sarns ffnae. Tho
mystery ia explained when VIC examine tho
flowers that have bloseoned and arc wtthcrinE:
tho tl,reo constrlctlons, which were At arst 50
narrow a. only toalmit Of a small Insect push
lug It's way between the hairs. 10 now gaping
widely. open, anl al! the br'stfcs 50 ,wf'tctl
to their escape. Nov, turning to =, bud
Inst llurstinq into flower, we lind the brtstles
r1gf1 and the trap set. The stigma Is now wide
thcrs tightly closed, and their pollen quite
green. Eacl, flower has, then, n double duly
10 perform: first. TO catch insects which
haYe been liberated by some flower previously
In bloom, and to cfret It's fertilization with thu
pollen which tlcy bring; hcoond, to fccsl and
hold them there until It's stigma has closed and
It's anthcrs burst. And, finally, It Opens Its
trap and sends them furth with unfmpaircd vlg-
or and a fresh load Of pollen for tho next flower
| that hlopius.'s