The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1893-09-02
CURIOUS PLANT LIFE.
Plants that Eat Live Animals-Plants
that Have the Sense OF Feeling
Others that Seem TO See.

And It's my faith. that every flower
Enjoys the air IL breathcs.
Il Wordsworth.
Scientists are making deep researches
In plant life, anu are discovering some
strange facts which seem almost too
weird 10 be believed. They tell us that
the plants we find in tramp through
the woods of n summers day are not the
stupid know nothing things that people
in general imagine them TO be. That it
has been discovered that some species or
plants common in this state have the
power OF eating, and that before enjoy.
ing a good meal off of flies, worms,
moths, etc, they have to work for their
living in much the same manner as the
spider which dimes on similar articles Of
diet. One will admit at once that a spider
goes TO work as Systematically as fish
erman placing q seine, or hunter ar
ranging his traps; but scarcely any one
would give plant as much credit for
ability as the philosophical spider. BE
this as II may, at present, the time Is fast
coming when the researches of botanists
will be made known to the public, and
then they will own that the plant king.
dom has been consulted and that several
species arc no longer subjects of scorn.
Plant life has not been keeping abreast
of the advancement of the nineteenth
century; but it is the scientist himself
who is making the steps ahead. The
plants have been performing for centur-
les what we now consider wonderful
feats, ani it is owing TO recent research
that one gains the idea that plants are
doing more remarkable things now than
ever before.
To most people, even though they
may be lovers OF nature, ii must seem
odd to hear of plants being fed on roast
beef TO keep them alive and 10 learn that
there are plants which close up their
leaves when bee lights upon them. and
still others which appear TO have human
instinct and reach directly towards
stick TO grow upon.
These plants that exhibit such peculiar
habits are not of the tropic climes or of
far off Africa, but are habitants OF this
state. 1t is only the question of obser-
vation that accounts for the reason so
few people know about their peculiarities
and little time spent in watching them
will convince anyone that what is here
said about them is the truth.
THE PLANTS THAT EAT.
There are many species of plants which
require animal food to keep them in a
healthy state. Whether they would
actually die il not allowed this food can
not be told, as the difficulty of starving
them is caused by their requiring water,
and to keep this free from all bug life
until absorbed by the plant is not an
easy task.
1t 10 not necessary to speak OF the
many varieties which have the power OF
digesting food, as this article deals
simply with those plants which the
reader of this article can find without
much trouble. The variety which is
common throughout this state is known
to many people by the scientific name OF
Sarracenia purpurea; but 1t may be still
better known by the cognomen in
colloqual use. the Pitcher plant,
or the Indian Drinking Cup.
Both names are derived from the
appearance of the plant. From the
roots, seven or eight queer looking leaves
start out at the same place. They meas
ure from eight inches TO foot in length
and are shaped like cornucopia or cows
horn with the pointed tip joining the
stalk and the broad part held upwards,
open to the air. These plants grow in
moist places, in creeks where in shallow
inlets there is little change Of water and
more especially in bogs and swamps
which are sheltered from the sun. They
thrive best when the body OF the plant
rests on bed Of moss and the roots are
allowed to penetrate below into water.
When IL rains the leaves or pitchers are
extended and they receive the water.
Although 1t makes heavy load to bear,
Nature seems to have supplied the plant
with sufficient strength to hold its heavily
laden cups. IL the plants grew in the
sunlight the water would rapidly evapo-
rate, consequently it is the cool, dark
swamp that they babitate. And now 10
explain the object OF this water held as
In reservoir:
Linnaeus thought that the pitcher
plants collected the water so that thirsty
birds might drink from them. He was
a great philosopher, but hi. surmise was
not correct. Catesby thought upon find
ing bugs inside of them that Nature had
provided a place of safety for insects,
but he was wrong, for it is now known
to be death trap for all kinds Of in
sects
II remained for Mellichamp and Hooker
10 make the discovery that the water in
the cups was diluted by the plant with
some substance which attracted insects,
and once slipping the fluid they became
affected
AS WITH Az RsTHETTc.
The writer has before him a number Of
these plants in separate pals. The cx-
pertinent Of introducing live fly at the
upper edge OF the cup wns tried. The
fly was apparently pleased with an odor
coming from the liquid, for il commenced
20 sup the solution, and falling into the
water, seemed unable 20 extricate itself
Asa fly thrown into cup Of water will
have little difficulty In clambering out or
flying ditectly from The water. it stands
70 reason that this liquid was something
= A