CARNIVOROUS PLANTS OF THE FUTURE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 65, 17 March 1910, Page 2

CARNIVOROUS PLANTS OF THE FUTURE.

SOME REMARKABLE DEDUCTIONS.. It is a fact recognised by botanists as beyond dispute that the carnivorous habit among plants .is more . widespread than .it - was formerly supposed to be. The specialised sundews (Droseras) are but the advance guard of a large army of species which depend for their existence more 01 less upon the absorption of animal salts through their.foliage. There te no gainsaying the statement, recently put forward by more than one scientist, that the tendency to rely upon a carnivorous diet is on the increase. Of course this is only in a line with the simplest evolutionary principle. It if possible to trace the steps by which the highest types :of species which ' seize and told their prey, such as the Venus fly trap (Dionaea), have been evolved from those which merely capture their victims by the use of an adhesive fluid, such as-the-fly catcher of Portugal •(Drosophyllum). Still lower in the scale are the plants, such as the teasles (Dipsacus), which drown the insects in strange" bucket-like, contrivances located at the base of the leaves. Flies which may-chance to fall into the water are ol course drowned, and the plant absorbs the •nitrogenous elements from their decaying bodies. It is .. . . —, ' A STARTLING CONCEPTION that in ages to come the plant world as a whole may become so advanced in carnivorous tastes as to be a. real menace to animal creation. Dreadful Indeed must be the sundews and the Dlohaeas to their insect victims at the present time. The unfortunate fly which is captured by the leal or tile sundew- finds itselX-.----neld down by strong arms which are /able to resist ite violent struggles. The largest Drosera or earth at the present time "produces leaves which are perhaps - nine, inches in length. Magnify the plant until, the leaves are ten feet In length, and we have an exceedingly formidable specimen. Many of trie palme and other tropical species have foliage which is'"Ynu^"Tn - .'excess''of this measurement, so that the idea of leaves as big as this Is not altogether fantastic. To be in proportion the tentacles could scarcely be less than ID inches in length, and these would be able to grapple with birds of considerable size. We may conceive that THE GIANT SUNDEW would-he able to hold out-some special inducement for Its intended victims to visit the leaves. Probably the bait would be -in the -form of some sweet-tasting secretion. On alighting the ■birds would probably hot find the adhesive fluid which the. leaves would produce -more than slightly annoying. The movements which they would make in an endeavour to free themselves would be all-sufficient to give the stimulus to the sensitive tentacles. Tti'ese would rapidly close in on their prey, and in a few moments escape .would be out of the question. Finally the unfortunate birds would perish miserably, the bodies m their decay yielding to the plant the nitrogenous matter desired. The Pingueculas, orbutterworts are at the -present time innocent-looking plants rathei attractive hi appearance. Th«» species, as is well; known, find their home in boggj tracts, -where they spread their foliage on the surface of the ground in -the form of a rosette. . If the leaves of • ■"' '. THE BUTTBRWOET. . • are closely examined It will be seen that *hey,are thickly, covered .with two sets & glflrirtw, one set of-which tor plainly viable lc •the naked eyei This 'visible set - resembles ""■-iph'to'tpr* ."nrisbroom,. wp sei Is" microscopic, and-ls formed of 'eight ' cells grouped after the m«T,T,» of a "wart or ' s knob. It. is the practice of these glands whenever they came into contact- with, anj object to pour out copiously -a mucilaginoui fluid, which, acts" much in the same way as bird jlime. "Acid "secretioa'ls also produced which aids the leaf in the digestion bf tht object-supposing that the capture shoui< be an insect In order to make assurance doubly sure, the edge of the leaf in certab species is seen to carl slowly inward. Now we can -imagine that in the very far awaj future with which we are dealing th, Pirrguieula will develop leaves which wil •hardly be less than five or six feet ii length. .These lying along the surface « the ground will make a special appeal ix grazmgaalmaJs. Perhaps, as with the sun dew, th* aUurement will be In Che-form o some pleasant-tasting secretion, which ii Pecuflazly attractive to sheep and goats We can Imagine how these animals on firsi coming across the Shorts would start tore gale themselves at the prepared feast. Th. strong, sticky substances .would.. a firn ■head of Ox lairs surrounding the moot! parts of the creatures, and In their endear our to free themselves ..the animate woulc become more entangled. Gradually too th. sides of the huge leaves would close in ■ward, and the fate of.the victim could noi 'long be delayed. A pitiable spectacle in deed to see these animals done to death bj -a plant, but the same process oiFsiailei scale is repeated thousands.of times durtn. the summer in any place where tie Pmgul culas abound. FAR MORE DREADFUL than any of the plants described abov. ■would be the Venus fly trap of the future This plant -would be a vegetable terror. At is well known, the,leaves of this plant ari designed in the'fozhi of a trap. On tbi upper erarfaee-'iof each. Jail" of the leaf ari three baits. To touch any of them is t( cause.toe organ to shut up, enclosing th. object.which has given. rise to the irrita tioh. The bordering of the leaf is forme, of sharp .fringed hairs, which, when thi trap is closed, prevent escape. At the mos the leaves of the Dionaea are' not mon than an inch in length, .'but we may get i mttle idea-.of : what this, plant may toe ii . years' to came'if", we imagine the foliage to 'be large enough to" grapple with' a man It is «ie habit of this plant to grow witl its - leaves half concealed beneath th. sphagnam'.-moss int which it thrives. Th. leaves* of the giant man trap partly ■hidd-ei by the ■undergrowth, would 7 form the mos terrible pitfall that the .world has ever seen Any unfortunate man who should chance t< stumble' into one of these leaves would t» speedily crushed to death by the stead; pressure of the enclosing' sides. "One on imagine.that a country in which the mai ' trap abounded would be avoided as much a: a district Inhabited by mtnt-eattng savages __Leonard ißasxmV in • "Scientinic American.'