Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-08-08
LUSlTANlAN HERB.
spnfn'H sundcw ana the African
Plant LII I'm estonc Found,

spnin'r sundcw ana the African
Rant Livingstone Found.
On the dry heaths OF spain and por.
'ugn. the eye u surprised to soc nil
, dndoubted specimen of the marsh plant
called stndcw. It has long linear rcd
leaves. covered with hairs and dew
drops. Entrappcd insects abound. But
the heath is dry. The plants around
have hard leaves like henther or cram.
berries, They IRE. in botanists' slang,
Scrophllcs, and no marsh plants ara
visible. Has II droscrl. or drusophyl.
sum. for so the LuSitanian herb Is
| hameh. forgotten It's nature? IL so,
, Whcncc the supply of water for the
glands! 1t IL not so. Drosuphyllum
has not forgotten the family traditions.
hut has Il long taproot. which extends
six. eight or ten feet through The sur.
face SOIL usually dry ground, TO the
stream Of water which tricklcs under
meath. Like all its congcncrs, it Is liv-
Ing In contact with water, though its
associates on the surface have their
roots in arid grounds.
In Britain there are two, DcrlIaDg
three, species Of the sundcw (lroscrn),
distinguished ny the leaves. which III
the one are round. OH Il hairy stalk, AMI
In the other long and narrow. on n
smooth pcdunclc. Both are common I'm
the mnrshy lands of Scotland, AMI the
round lcnved variety is common in
England where the ground is fuvora-
bic.
as worldwide plant the sundcw il
one OF these plants which ut times are
met suddenly by wanderers In the will
derncss md recall 10 their minds the
distant and sweet scenes of home a
species of the droscra--and, IL we do
not err. the very species may he seen
In the botanic gardens of Edinburgh
gave n similar delight to David Living
stone In one OF his first great Journeys
In June. 1850, he was making his
way from the west to tho east coast OF
Africa and had reached the marshy
plateau of the central watershed, near
Lake Dilolo. while passing across
these intcrmnablc loolling plains an
other beautiful plant attracted my at
tcntion so strongly that dsmountctl
to examine it. TO my great delight |
found 1t TO be an old home acuualnt-
ancc, n species OF drosern closely re.
scmbling our own sundcw Droscra an
| glicm. The flower stalk never attains
height of more than two or three
inches. AMI the leaves are covered with
reddish hairs. each of which has drop
or clamniy fluid nj Its tip, making The
| whole appear ns if Spanglcd over will,
small diamonds. noticed It first IN
the morning and Imagined the appear.
ancc was caused by the sun shining on
| drops of dew. but as ii continued To
| maintain It's hrilliancy during the heat
or the day ] proceeded to Investigate
the cause OF lis beauty and found that
the points of the hairs cNudcd pure
liquid In apparently capsules of clear
slitinous matter. They were thus like
dewdrops preserved from evaporation.
The clammy fluid Is intended to entran
| insects, which, dying OH the leaf. prob
ably afford nutrimcnt to the plant"
Livingstone, with the Intuition of n
| powerful mind. strikes on the pcculiar
haDit OF the droSera which explains It's
| color, It's glandular eXcrescrnccs. its
Worldwide extension ana the special
interest which it has excited among
students such as Mr.. Darwin. 1t feeds
on insects. 1t lives not. rs other plants.
on the pure minerals latent in earth,
air and water, but on the same diluted
through body which once had life.
| 1t Is plant with something Of the
habit of an animal. The conspicuous
ruddy color attracts the insect, whIcl,
F., is caught In the sticky liquor and i'm
paled OH the sharp hairs. The peculiar
nutrimcnt gives the plant an easy sus-
tenance. 1t has no rivals; 1t has not
the same fierce struggle to maintain
| it's ground that the tough rooted plants
| of the hillside endure. before which
the tender succumb. Perchcd OH the
moss. it draws In by Its roots cease
less supply of water and is sought by
n food which Is useless TO other plants;
hence II has little need for variation,
and. granting marshy land there It
| 6nds n home. Scotsman.
1