The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1877-07-14
Light-Emitting Flowers.

The power of emitting light has been
found to be possessed of by several
flowers. The daughter of the great
Swedish naturalist, Linnaeus, was wont
to amuse herself in the summer twilight
by setting fire to the inhammable atmos-
phere which surrounds the essential-oil
glands of the Fraxinela. One sultry
summer evening, when sitting in the
garden, she was very much surprised to
notice the flowers of a group of nastur-
tiums emitting luminous radiations, and
she observed the same thing to occur
several subsequent evenings in June and
July, 1862. The same phenomenon has
also been observed by several naturalists,
but almost exclusively in connection
with yellow OF orange colored flowers,
such as the sun floweT, the marigold,
peoples and the orange lily. The follow
ing account of interesting observations
of these luminous flowers is given by
DIR. Philipson: "The Swedish natur-
alist, Professor Haggern, perceived one
evening faint flash of light dart re-
peatedly from marigold. Surprised mt
such an uncommon appearance, he re-
solved to examine it with attention, and,
to be assured that it was no deception,
he placed man near him, with orders
TO make signal when he observed the
light. They both saw it constantly at
the same moment. The light was most
brilliant upon the marigolds of an or
ange or flame color, but scarcely visible
upon pale ones. The flash was frequently
seen on the same flower two or three
times in quick succession, but more
commonly at intervals of several min
utes. When several flowers, in the same
place, emitted this light together, it
could be seen at considerable distance,
This phenomenon was remarked in July
and August at sunset, and for half an
hour when the sky was clear; but after
rainy day, or when the air was loaded
with vapors, nothing of it was to be seen.
On the 18th of June, 1857, about ten
o'clock in the evening, NJ. Fries, the well
known botanist, whilst walking along
in the Botanic Garden at Upsal, re-
marked groupof poppies, in which three
or four flowers emitted little flashes of
light. Forewarned as he was by know
ledge that such things had been observed
by others, he could not help believing he
was suffering from an optical illusion.
However, the flashes continued showing
themselves, from time to time, during
three-quarters of an hour. M. Fries
was thus forced to believe that what he
saw was real. The next day observing
the same phenomenon to recur at about
the same hour, he conducted to the place
a person entirely ignorant that such a
manifestation of light had ever been
witnessed in the vegetable world, and,
without relating anything concerning it,
he brought his companion before the
group of poppics. The latter observer
was soon in raptures of establishment
and admiration. Many other persons
were then led to the same spot, some of
whom Immediately remarked that the
flowers were throwing out flames" 1t
is chiefly in the summer months that the
emission of light is seen, and generally
during twilight 1t is said, however,
that flashes have also been noticed in
the morning, just before sunrise. The
light emitted is always most brilliant
before thunderstorm.