The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-02
THIS SQUASH DROUGHT PROOF.
Has Its Own CIstern and Doesn't Caro-
whether IL Rains or Not.

Has Its Own CIstern and Doesn't Caro-
whether IL Rains or Not.
DR.. D.. T. MacDougal, director Of tho
botanical activities OF the Carnegie In
stitution Of Washington, who has been
visiting the New York Botanical Garden,
has started for an extended exploration
OF the deserts OF central and southern
Mexico.
One Of the problems he will study con-
Germs the storage Of water by certain desert
plants. In the course Of extensive explor-
alton a curious fact has como 10 light,
namely, that In regions where the rainfall
IL slight and also irregular throughout the
sea -on plants peculiar TO the district have
no special reservoirs for the storage OF
water. On the other hand, in regions where
the rainfall il confined TO brief regular
periods plants are found which are provided
with various devices for storing water for
use during the long times Of drought.
A striking example Of such a provision Of
nature il presented by the guarequi, a
dweller in the desert Of Sonora. The plant
Is a relative Of the squash and pumpkin
and inhabits a locality in which practically
all the rain falls within q period Of six
weeks.
II OdSc ~ Nitr HlCll VI AC RlnhN ~ o"OA-
len to form a hard woody structure. I'm time
attaining the size OF a large squash. The
gray Of the sands Of the Sonora IL initiated
in the color Of the covering Of the mass,
which presents the appearance Of q worn
gray boulder projecting above the sand.
while the structure Is hard almost a. a
stone.
1t Is really nothing more than a vegetable
reservoir designed to hoard up the scanty
moisture with the greed Of a miser and ex-
ercising all a miser's thrift In doing out
the precious fluid to It's own advantage In
time Of need. In many instances this stored
moisture would he the most precious thing
on earth TO man or beast in that thirsty land,
hut the natives say that the liquid treasure
is poison.
After the close Of the short rainy season
the vinelike stems OF the plant die down,
the small roots dry up and the plant, In the
form Of its tuber, lies Quiescent on the
burning sands throughout the long hot
days Of nine rainless months. With the
return Of the rainy season the plant rapidly
reforms its roots, stems, leaves and flowers,
completes its brief season Of activity and
as quickly lapses into another long sleep
under the cloudless sky.
1t is not always necessary that the plant
be awakened by the falling rain or in fact,
by the application Of moisture in any form.
This has been proved most conclusively
by the action OF u specimen which was
placed in one OF the cases in the museum Of
the New York Botanical Gardens for ex-
hiOitiOn purposes in 1901.
The following year and annually since
then at the return Of the rainy season in
its native habitat this plant, immlred
without soil OF moisture In its glass prison,
has in some mysterious way heard the
call OF nature and responded by sending
up it's stems and forming its leave in re-
spouse to the rhythm OF its being acquired
In the far away desert of Sonora. This it
has repeated annually for five years.
In other words, during its infancy and
youth up to the g 1901 the plant had
accumulated sufficient water to carry It
through five successive seasons OF growth
and thus far il shows no ~shrinkage or other
signs of deterioration. So far as appear
ances may be taken as an indication OF the
plants future it would seem that II and its
kindred habitually carry reserve supplies
of water sufficient to satisfy their needs
for a quarter Of a century.
The far famed capacity OF the camel to
husband it's water supply and to endure
thirst is considerably outdone by this
plants abilities in like ines and IL there
Is anything in the animal kingdom which
can even approach 1t the Animal has yet
to be discovered.