The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-07-01


The lamins ate yellow, orbiculaf,
pointed, downy, red at the base, and
veued with purple. The trumpet is
shaped so as to prevent the adultera-
ton Of its liquor by rain or dew. 1t
bears the same flower as the variolarls,
and its victims are full as numerous.
Each, however, distils different liquor,
and has different class of customers.
Both shops thrive in Georgia and
South Carolina, despite their restrictive
liquor laws. The effect Of the liquor
on insects is plainly seen. 1t would
be interesting to know whether 1t
would intoxicate men, if enough of 1t
could be procured. 1t has a sweet
taste, something like cider Cows nip
the plant greedily; nor does it seem to
affect their milk, which has fine color
and as good flavor as Orange county
milk.
After an earnest search we found a
whiskey shop bearing red flower as its
sign. There were very few of them.
1t was the SdrydCenia bSittaeiRd, or
parrot beaked pitcher plant. Mr.. Smith
has named it "the Sunday saloon
He says its customers creep in by a
back door Once inside they stand at
the foot of a tiny hill and the liquor
runs down to them. They drink, drop
and never return. We afterward saw
many of these singular plants along the
railroad in Georgia, between Waycross
and Savannah, while returning to
Washington. The leaves are short and
spreading, and the tube is slender and
broadly winged. 1t is marked with
white spots, and is netted with purple
veins. The beak is incurved, and the
orifice of the tube is almost closed.
All these plants protect their liquor
from the dew and rain. There is one
species, however, which does not do So.
1t is the SayraceRia bnrPnrea, or
Huntsman's Cup. 1t has purple
flowers, and is broadly winged 1t
grows in nearly all of the Florida
swamps. The throat is contracted and
covered with brown hairs, projecting
downward. The botanist has dubbed
it ''the lager beer saloon" The insect
crawls over the hairs and descends the
cup to drink the beer. Becoming
partly intoxicated, it rises to climb out.
The down. growing hairs act as sort Of
cheveant de triSe. The fly cannot sur
mount nor thread them. 1t finally
drops into the wafer below and is
drowned This is the one inseCtiverols
plant that browns its victims. The
Kew guide book says that they all do
so, but Mr.. Smith says it is clearly a
mistake
Another insectiverous plant is called
the Sun dew (DyOSeyd). 1t kills mos.
quitoeS, and is abundant in the swamps
of Florida. 1t is one of the species OF
plants Of which Mr.. Darwin made such
interesting Investigations. 1t has from
two TO six leaves, usually in a horizon.
tai position. Sometimes, however
they have a vertical extension. They
are more broad than long. The upper
surface is covered with gland bearing
tilaments or tentac'es. The average
number of glands on each leaf is
about 100. They are surrounded by
drops of a viscid secretion. These
drops glitter in the Gun and give the
plant its name. Insects are caught in
the gummy secretion, and the tentacles
are brought into play to secure them,
The plants are of a red color, and are
almost messy in appearance.
Near these the Pingnicnla, another
insectiverous plant, was found. Its
palate is hairy, and the margins of its
leaves usually roll inward. 1t captures
its victims with a glue-like secretion,
and is said to absorb them by rolling
its leaves around them.