El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-12-16

/ the institution in that no part Of its
collection is placed on exhibition. 1t
is estimated that there are approx
mately million specimens in the col
! lection, and it is known to be grow
/ ing more rapidly than any other sim
/ liar collection IN the world Each year
| about $4,000 specimens are added TO II
With this one division dealing with
/ the entire floral kingdom. while the
/ animal kingdom is divided among sew
| en- divisions, it is natural tnaI z. large
/ amount Of work must be done IN con-
] pection with the divisions studies OF
I the plant world. The results or these
! studies are published In series OF
kvOlumes called Contributions 10 lhe
National Herbariums' This publcaloh
was started 20 years ago and has run
through is volumes.
Number Of Plants in the World
The number of species OF plants IN
the world is variOusly estimated some
authorities say there are as many spe-
cies of plants as there are OF animals,
and this would place the number at
more than a million. Other estimates
place the number Of species as low as
a quarter Of q million. These eSJn1ates,
however, are based upon the species
already described, and not upon Lne
possibilities Of finding new ones me
scientist need not go to remote re-
giOns to find new species Of plants. Ior
not a single year passes without me
finding OF new species WITHIN ~ Al4ies
of the home of the National Herbartum.
The work Of preparing the collectlons
for the National Herbar1um consisls
Of first pbOtOgraphing the plant, then
pressing the various portions OF II anu
mounting them upon large cards. the
dimensions Of which are about i Dy
Is inches A little envelope is pasted
TO each card, into which specimens OF
the seeds and other delicate parts are
placed The flowers and other parts OF
the plant are attached to the cardboard
by small pieces Of adhesive tape A
MI her rnN hos ri g
gether and placed IN back OF SUN
paper. after which they are filed away
in heavy nreprOOf cases. Occasionally
specimens are preserved in alcohol, out
these instances are few
Specimens From Mexican Border.
One Of the recent important additions
to the National Herbarium was made
by the associate curator, DR.. j. n Rose
He headed an exploring eXpedluOn
along the Mexican frontier and gatn-
cred more than 10000 valuable Speci-
mems. He is just now studying the
North American cacti. the results OF
which study are expected to constitute
a most important contribution to DO
tanical knowledge
The work OF the National HerbSrium
is of great importance. This sort OF
work is fundamental to such applied
science as that Of using botanical
preparations in medicine, and that OF
economic botany. Someone has esu-
mated that the activities Of such eco
nOmic bOtanists as Burbank and those
Oh
worth a hundred million dollars year
10 the American people. Yet the super
structure which they have reared rests
upon the foundation prepared by the
workers who are responsible for the
National Herbarium.
UneOyers Many Wonderful stories.
In the researches OF the DOtanlSrs
many wonderful stories have been IN
that Surpass the highest flights OF
fancy For instance, it has been found
that there are more than 10000 Differ
ent species Of fungi, some OF which
possess strange qualities. The cedar
rust cannot flourish unless il is able
to pass part Of its time on the red cedar, I
There are also 10000 species OF diatOms.
minute plant Inhabitants Of the waters
of the world. and these serve as food I
for tens Of thousands Of species of ma {
rine life. Some forms Of life are found /
which are so simple that even the most 4
painStaking scientist is unable to say j
cOncluslTely whether they are animals I
or plants. Other species are so highly /
developed that they set traps for IN I
sects and make parachutes to carry I
their seeds to remote places.
The flagellata and slime moulds are I
nothing but plaSm without shape or ]
form. Contrast them with the beautiful \
orchid, the splendid apple tree, and the I
giant oak and you have range of /
form that unaided fancy could not pic [
ture. The lowest forms Of life known /
certainly to be plants are the bacteria,
and some of them multiply so fast that
a single one may turn into many mil
lions in "A hours. They multiply by /
breaking apart. and this process takes
place every half hour. OF course their !
life span is of only mOmentary dUra-
ton comparatively speaking, in strik-
Ing contrast to some Of the long lived |
trees whose years are reckoned by cen
turtles.
The botanist has followed the plant
creation back to its beginnings, and Is
engaged in the great work Of con-
structing the family tree OF the worlds
-lOra- difficulty confronting him In
making a complete family tree is the
TACT that many species have vanished Z
from the world and left no trace be-
hind them. In his work of framing up Z
he genealogy Of the plant kingdom he
lived in the water. When plants left !
-hese surroundings they had entirely
new conditions to meet and yet they
nave adapted themselves to their en-
-iTOnment as completely as the hearty
Ind bOtherSOme purslane has adapted
tself to the ordinary truck garden.
even today the botanist is able to wit
less for himself instances OF plants
eaving the water and taking on a land
existence. Several species Of liverWOrt
formally float on the water, but when
eft high and dry in some muddy place,
hey take root and straightway become
lowers differing widely from their wa
er form 1t is believed that the green
-lgae, very small plants inhabiting the
esent the ancestors of the green land
,lants of the world.
Plants That Catch Live Animals
The carnivOrOus plants possess some /
most striking facilities for catching
and feeding upon live ami
nails. Among these plants are the sar-
tcenia of the Atlantic states and the /
arlingtOnia of the Sierra Navadas
They have little pitchers filled with
lectar whose sides are lined with
lairs pointing inward; and woe betide
he insect which is attracted by this
ectar. When it seeks to get out these Z
title hairs are the jailOrs which stand [
-uard to prevent escape. The leaves OF
he sundews and the Venus fly traps I
i've off a sticky fluid on which in /
ects are entrapped. The leaf wraps
tself around the prisoner and literally /
ats it. In some plants the blade Of {
he leaf is divided into two jaws to I
esemDle a steel trap. A few stiff hairs /
onsutute the trig scer arrangement and ,
he insect which touches one Of these Z
asses its own death sentence Other I
lants have tiny bladders on their
caves and even baby fish are caught
nd eaten.
The largest Of all Of the subking
oms Of the plant world is that Of the I
These are almost excIu-
lively the plants which afford food for
ne bees and butterflies. As the insect (
re is the most mum roue Of oil oF