The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-09-20
INSECTIV0ROUS PLANTS
Make Apparently Conscious Choice of
Food and Move Toward Prev.

II appears strange TO speak OF a plant
as moving to catch It's food, and yet n
relation OF plentiful British plant has
sutlcient power OF reason-one does not
know what else to call Ito do this.
The sundew, an insectivorous plant. pro-
vides the wherewithal for n most strik-
ing experiment for those who care TO
avail themselves of the privilege. Mrs.
Treat was the first 10 call attention TO
most remarka BILE fact In connection
with the American sundew--a fact which
shows very clearly that the powers OF
this plant are not limited TO the mere
lying in walt for it's prey. She says II
pinned some living lies half an inch
from the leaves near the apex at 10
o'clock. In forty minutes the leaves had
bent perceptibly toward the flies. At l2
o'clock the leaves had reached the flies
and their legs were entangled among
the brlstles and held fast Here We
have an irrefutable Instance of plant
which Is not only conscious that 1t de-
sires flies for it's food, but Is also able
TO move toward it's prey.
The Idea OF plants consuming birds
and animals is not by any means 80 fan
tastlc as il may appear, The nepenthes,
or pitcher plants. of tropical countries
are fairly we'll known as dollhouse cur
iosities In Britain. The pitcher
Is. of course, a development OF the leaf
in some specles-produces a sweet liquid.
while in others the receptacle simply
catches water In either case insects are
attracted by the fluid, which they come
TO drink. and when once Inside the
pitcher" they are prevented from es-
Gaping by certain hook-like processes
which make an exit impossible. IL is
no unusual thing TO see these pitchers"
and those In some species are eight
inches or foot long-brimful OF an ac-
cumulated mass of Insect bodies. More
strange STILL however. IL has been as
serted on the best authority that birds,
mice and even rats have been found In
the pitchers" of the nepenthes. More
observations Will be necessary before Il
can be definitely stated that the nepen-
thes really make arrangements to lure
these creatures into their pitchers" as
OF course the presence of the larger
animals might be accidental Still, the
case is most curious and one for fuller
The representatives OF a group OF yege-
table para sites known as cordyceps have
q habit OF growth which. 70 say the
least, Is remarkable. These fungi live
In perhaps as strange way as do any
plants, for e good number OF the species
actually grow on living insects and spi-
ders. A variety haillng from the West
Indies makes itself the guest OF kind
OF wasp. and the unfortunate hosts are
frequently 10 be seen flying about with
these unscrupulous plants sprouting out
from their bodies to length as great
as that OF the insect itself, Other mem
bers OF the same family SOW themselves
IN the bodies of caterpillars which have
hidden away in soil or among leaves
Some of these cordyceps grow TO huge
size, and are often very much longer
han the poor grub on which they are
living. In New Zealand one OF these
'uugi at times attains the length OF six
,r even eight inches, while the cater
pillar, which IL is growing upon may be
ess than third OF that measurement.
)f course. finally In every case those !
plants bring about the de- /
OF their hosts. and IL is only |
question as to how long the insect. or |
whatever the attacked creature may be. |
an hold out against the severe drain |
lpon It's system.-Grand Magazine,