East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-02-08
PLANTS THAT FEED UPON IN.
SECT LIFE.

Scattered over the world are some
coo species of trees and plants that
are assassins of the worst possible
breed, They kill and eat insects and
animalculae. and in some cases their
constitutions are so strong that they
can actually digest pieces of raw meat,
just like human beings
The pitcher plant. or nepenthes,
secrets juices similar to the gastric
juices of the human stomach, and, in
consequence, Is able to digest meat and
vegetables as easily as man.
Canivorous plants are mostly to be
found in hot climates, and in tropical
America they are to be found in large
numbers. one of them has trumpet
shaped stalks which are hollow. The
leaves are small and form lids to the
hollow trunks.
The interior of the stalks are lined
with brushes of hair, fine and as sharp
as needles, and an insect that alights
on leaf is pretty sure to fall into the
trap set for it. rhe hairs surround
the fly, moth, or whatever the unfor-
tunate victim might be, and acid is
poured over its body.
Numerous minute cells at the bot
tom of the cavity digest the captured
insect.
II you look in marshy places in the
Ingleton district you will come across
the butterwort-one of Britain's flesh
eating plants. 1t always has the mar
gin Of its leaves folded back. so as to
make a long, narrow channel, and they
are thickly studded with hair, which
secretes an adhesive substance.
Midges and other small flies commit
suicide by settling on the leaves, for
they adhere thereto, and nothing can
rescue them.
Naturally, in the struggle for free
| dom, the insects writhe and wriggle
about. This irritates the plant, and an
acid juice is given out which digests
the hapless flies
Another plant or prey lives on the
Cheshire hills. 1t is called the sun
dew. and it prepares most ingenious
|
| leaves are like those of the butterwort,
but instead of the margins being turn
ed back, they are surmounted by long
hair. ending in a knob covered with
stick fluid.
When a fly alights on a leaf it ad.
/ heres to the hair. and when nicely
caught the whole leaf folds up into a
ball about its victim.
When the leaf reopens some min
utes later, the insect has disappeared.
The toothwort also catches ground
insects with its leaves. On each leaf
are several sinuous chambers lined
with dome-shaped cells which contain
Jelly" arms. The moment a fly gets
into n cell it is seized by the arms
and held as in a vice. When it is
dead its body is digested by its cap
| tor.
Underwater insects are very inquis-
itiVe 50 the bladderwort lays beauti-
full trap for them. on the stem of the
plant are small bladders with open
ings at the top protected by tiny trap
doors
The interior of the bladders is
| studded with hair, which makes a per.
feet cheval-de-frise to prevent the es.
cape of the foolish little creatures tina,
venture innocently within.
The bladderwort waits until its vic-
tins are in a decayed state before de.
vouring them altogether.
The honey ant is eaten by the people
of Mexico and the white colonists
alike. This particular ant has a small
head and short legs with body as big
as bean, which is of yellow color
and swollen with honey.
In nest of ordinary ants there are,
perhaps. 900 or 400 honey ones, and
they hang on to the roof of the cells
living storehouses of winter food, and
while the others feed them. They are
fattened up for the use of the whole
tribe.