Smyrna times., 1881-07-27
For the SmgrnG Times
Discourse on the Physical Basis Of
Life.
BY Z. f. P.

Botanical clocks have been arranged by
curious and ingenius bOtanists of various
Towering plants, to tell by their uniform
periods of opening and closing, the differ
ent hours of day. Some regulate their
labor by the opening and closing of the
MarigOld, and the old Matches tribe ap-
pointed their love meetings when the Hi
discus closed. AS soon as the rain-Mari-
gold sees or feels the impress of dark
rain cloud coming, it closes seeupo against
all risk of injury, and the Snow Thistle of
Siberia, accustomed to the bitterest cold,
closes on the approach Of the sun, and
only expands when the sky is cloudy, in
variably closing when the temperature be-
comes warm.
1t would seem the organic texture and
function of the roofs and stems OF plants
are the same, since root partly ex-
posed to the air above and earth be-
meath will send up leaves to the one and
roots to the other. If plant be set out
upside down, its roots become its leaf
bearing branches, and its leafbearing
its roots, The middle of plant confined
in barrel of soil, through which it passes,
will give out roots from the middle, and
branches bearing leaves above and below
the roots. The wonderful "Victora-rega''
of the Amazon, with circular leaves, six
to eight feet in diameter, as smooth, green
and beautiful as emerald velvet, is accom-
panied with flowers of equal magnitude
and majestic beauty, 1t springs from a
petiole through the water distance OF
two feet or more, and obtains it's main
support from the atmosphere. These
leaves look like large shallow vases, float
ing as if green velvet isles upon the water
They will support the weight of birds and
very small children without sinking.
There is animated life in all things, but
the physical basis thereof is what has puz
zled and will continue to puzzle the think
ing mind. There is the LycopOdium OF
club moss that is gifted with the power o
locomotion,-it creeps along the ground
; contains many branches and is covered
witt bristles like leaves clasping the stem
it is very moderate in it's movements i
moves along-slowly it is true, like bah!
on the floor, showing that it has animated
life akin to that which throbs in the vein
of human being. There are plants, too
which like human beings, feed upon ami
NAL food, extracting nourishment there
from for their branches and roots. On
. who has investigated the subject thor
Oughly, says that few of the facts oh
served by Mr.. Darwin concerning Droser
will best show the characteristics of cal
niverous plants. The prey is caught b.
means of the leaves, of which there ar
) from two to six, placed more or less hor
zontally on each stalk, half an inch an
: upwards in length, and usually somewha
r broader than they are long. Each leaf
3 covered with little filaments or tentaclei
I the shortest in the middle and the longes
: around the margin of the leaf. The avel
' age number of tentacles is 1872, and at tn
r end of each is little gland which exude
e a viscid fluid that glistens in the SUNSHINE
r and has caused the plant to be called b
its poetieal name of Sundew. Now, whe
e an insect lights ON this POLITICALLY name
: plant, the step is fatal. The viscid secr'
tions entangles him, and the instant HI
n feet are felt the tentacles begin to clos
. about him. In quarter of an hour he
a dead, being closely grasped by the enfolc
ing filaments, which curl the edges of I'll
S leaf inward SO as to form a temporal
q stomach, wherein he may be digeste
). Thus we find aplant subsisting on insect
It initiating man who makes food of Il
d larger animals, If the Drosera subsists G
d animal food, is It not distant relative
1f man 2 asl
le BLAcKBmD HD., July Goth, 1881.
IS m TO be continued