Insectivorous Plants | Page 2

DIGESTIVE POWER OF THE SECRETION OF DROSERA.
The secretion rendered acid by the direct and indirect excitement of the
glands--Nature of the acid--Digestible substances--Albumen, its
digestion arrested by alkalies, recommences by the addition of an
acid--Meat--Fibrin--Syntonin--Areolar
tissue--Cartilage--Fibro-cartilage-- Bone--Enamel and
dentine--Phosphate of lime--Fibrous basis of
bone--Gelatine--Chondrin-- Milk, casein and
cheese--Gluten--Legumin--Pollen--Globulin--Haematin--Indigestible
substances--Epidermic productions--Fibro-elastic
tissue--Mucin--Pepsin--Urea--Chitine--
Cellulose--Gun-cotton--Chlorophyll--Fat and oil--Starch--Action of the
secretion on living seeds--Summary and concluding remarks...Pages
85-135

CHAPTER VII.

THE EFFECTS OF SALTS OF AMMONIA.
Manner of performing the experiments--Action of distilled water in
comparison with the solutions--Carbonate of ammonia, absorbed by the
roots--The vapour absorbed by the glands- -Drops on the disc--Minute
drops applied to separate glands--Leaves immersed in weak
solutions--Minuteness of the doses which induce aggregation of the
protoplasm--Nitrate of ammonia, analogous experiments
with--Phosphate of ammonia, analogous experiments with- -Other salts
of ammonia--Summary and concluding remarks on the action of salts
of ammonia...136-173

CHAPTER VIII.
THE EFFECTS OF VARIOUS OTHER SALTS, AND ACIDS, ON
THE LEAVES.
Salts of sodium, potassium, and other alkaline, earthy, and metallic
salts--Summary on the action of these salts--Various acids--Summary
on their action...174-198 [page viii.]

CHAPTER IX.
THE EFFECTS OF CERTAIN ALKALOID POISONS, OTHER
SUBSTANCES AND VAPOURS.
Strychnine, salts of--Quinine, sulphate of, does not soon arrest the
movement of the protoplasm--Other salts of
quinine--Digitaline--Nicotine--Atropine--Veratrine--Colchicine--
Theine--Curare--Morphia--Hyoscyamus--Poison of the cobra,
apparently accelerates the movements of the protoplasm--Camphor, a
powerful stimulant, its vapour narcotic--Certain essential oils excite
movement--Glycerine--Water and certain solutions retard or prevent
the subsequent action of phosphate of ammonia--Alcohol innocuous, its

vapour narcotic and poisonous--Chloroform, sulphuric and nitric ether,
their stimulant, poisonous, and narcotic power--Carbonic acid narcotic,
not quickly poisonous--Concluding remarks...Pages 199-228

CHAPTER X.
ON THE SENSITIVENESS OF THE LEAVES, AND ON THE
LINES OF TRANSMISSION OF THE MOTOR IMPULSE.
Glands and summits of the tentacles alone sensitive--Transmission of
the motor impulse down the pedicels of the tentacles, and across the
blade of the leaf--Aggregation of the protoplasm, a reflex action--First
discharge of the motor impulse sudden--Direction of the movements of
the tentacles--Motor impulse transmitted through the cellular tissue--
Mechanism of the movements--Nature of the motor
impulse--Re-expansion of the tentacles...229-261

CHAPTER XI.
RECAPITULATION OF THE CHIEF OBSERVATIONS ON
DROSERA ROTUNDIFOLIA.
262-277 [page ix.]

CHAPTER XII.
ON THE STRUCTURE AND MOVEMENTS OF SOME OTHER
SPECIES OF DROSERA.
Drosera anglica--Drosera intermedia--Drosera capensis--Drosera
spathulata--Drosera filiformis--Drosera binata--Concluding
remarks...Pages 278-285

CHAPTER XIII.
DIONAEA MUSCIPULA.
Structure of the leaves--Sensitiveness of the filaments--Rapid
movement of the lobes caused by irritation of the filaments--Glands,
their power of secretion--Slow movement caused by the absorption of
animal matter--Evidence of absorption from the aggregated condition
of the glands--Digestive power of the secretion--Action of chloroform,
ether, and hydrocyanic acid- -The manner in which insects are
captured--Use of the marginal spikes--Kinds of insects captured--The
transmission of the motor impulse and mechanism of the movements--
Re-expansion of the lobes...286-320

CHAPTER XIV.
ALDROVANDA VESICULOSA.
Captures crustaceans--Structure of the leaves in comparison with those
of Dionaea-- Absorption by the glands, by the quadrifid processes, and
points on the infolded margins-- Aldrovanda vesiculosa, var.
australis--Captures prey--Absorption of animal matter-- Aldrovanda
vesiculosa, var. verticillata--Concluding remarks...321-331

CHAPTER XV.
DROSOPHYLLUM--RORIDULA--BYBLIS--GLANDULAR HAIRS
OF OTHER PLANTS-- CONCLUDING REMARKS ON THE
DROSERACEAE.
Drosophyllum--Structure of leaves--Nature of the secretion--Manner of
catching insects-- Power of absorption--Digestion of animal

substances--Summary on Drosophyllum--Roridula- -Byblis--Glandular
hairs of other plants, their power of absorption--Saxifraga--Primula--
Pelargonium--Erica--Mirabilis--Nicotiana--Summary on glandular
hairs--Concluding remarks on the Droseraceae...332-367 [page x.]

CHAPTER XVI.
PINGUICULA.
Pinguicula vulgaris--Structure of leaves--Number of insects and other
objects caught-- Movement of the margins of the leaves--Uses of this
movement--Secretion, digestion, and absorption--Action of the
secretion on various animal and vegetable substances--The effects of
substances not containing soluble nitrogenous matter on the
glands--Pinguicula grandiflora--Pinguicula lusitanica, catches
insects--Movement of the leaves, secretion and digestion...Pages
368-394

CHAPTER XVII.
UTRICULARIA.
Utricularia neglecta--Structure of the bladder--The uses of the several
parts--Number of imprisoned animals--Manner of capture--The
bladders cannot digest animal matter, but absorb the products of its
decay--Experiments on the absorption of certain fluids by the quadrifid
processes--Absorption by the glands--Summary of the observation on
absorption-- Development of the bladders--Utricularia
vulgaris--Utricularia minor--Utricularia clandestina...395-430

CHAPTER XVIII.

UTRICULARIA (continued).
Utricularia montana--Description of the bladders on the subterranean
rhizomes--Prey captured by the bladders of plants under culture and in
a state of nature--Absorption by the quadrifid processes and
glands--Tubers serving as reservoirs for water--Various other species of
Utricularia--Polypompholyx--Genlisea, different nature of the trap for
capturing prey-- Diversified methods by which plants are
nourished...431-453
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INDEX...455-462
[page 1]

INSECTIVOROUS PLANTS.
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CHAPTER I.
DROSERA ROTUNDIFOLIA, OR THE COMMON SUN-DEW.
Number of insects captured--Description of the leaves and their
appendages or tentacles-- Preliminary sketch of the action of the
various parts, and of the manner in which insects are
captured--Duration of the inflection of the tentacles--Nature of the
secretion--Manner in which insects are carried to the centre of the
leaf--Evidence that the glands have the power of absorption--Small size
of