. Elements of botany. Botany; Botany. 106 ELEMENTS OF BOTANY. In the Venus' flytrap, which grows in the sandy regions of eastern North Carolina, the mechanism for catching insects is still more remarkable. The leaves, as shown in Fig. 95, terminate in a hinged portion which is surrounded by a fringe of stiff bristles. On the inside of each half of the trap grow three short hairs. The trap is so sensitive that when these hairs are touched it closes with a jerk and very generally succeeds in captur- ing the fly or other insect which has sprung it. The imprisoned insect then dies and is digested,
. Elements of botany. Botany; Botany. 106 ELEMENTS OF BOTANY. In the Venus' flytrap, which grows in the sandy regions of eastern North Carolina, the mechanism for catching insects is still more remarkable. The leaves, as shown in Fig. 95, terminate in a hinged portion which is surrounded by a fringe of stiff bristles. On the inside of each half of the trap grow three short hairs. The trap is so sensitive that when these hairs are touched it closes with a jerk and very generally succeeds in captur- ing the fly or other insect which has sprung it. The imprisoned insect then dies and is digested, somewhat as in the case of those caught by the sundew, after which the trap reopens and is ready for fresh captures. 131. Object of Catching Animal Food. — It is easy to understand why a good many kinds of plants have taken to catching insects, or even (in the case of some of the large tropical pitcher plants) to catching birds, killing them, digesting them, and absorbing the digested products. Car- nivorous, or flesh-eating, plants belong usually to one of two classes as regards their place of growth : they are bog-plants or air-plants. In either case their roots find it difficult to secure much nitrogen- containing food, that is, much food out of which proteid material can be built up. Animal food, being itself largely proteid, is admirably adapted to nourish the growing parts of. Pig. 95.— Venus' Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original Bergen, Joseph Y. (Joseph Young), 1851-1917. Boston, Ginn
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