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D. Dichotoma

This curious & for its genus gigantic spe. is an inhabitant of Australia (?). The same plant throws up enormous enormous numerous leaves, each with a long smooth footstalk green petiole which di bearing two ribbon-like leaves divisions, these again dividing bifurcating & redividing always into two; & which division curl about in an irregular manner. — A very fine plant was sent to me by the K of L. D. Nevill, & the footstalk of the longest leaves with 19 1/2 inch in length, & the lamina of the leaf, (thrice divided) was 7 1/2, making a total of 27 inches.

The greatest width of the lamina was only one tenth & a half tenth of an inch. 3/20' the lamina is somewhat furrowed along the middle of upper surface & of lower surface, so that transverse section is

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There are stomata on both surfaces of the leaf & a petiole.

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is like a dumb bell. It terminates in a fine point, bearing─ extremely long tentacles.  The whole upper surface & the sides are covered with the usual tentacles, placed in alternate order; then on the margin being the longest & 2 or 3 times as long as the whole breadth of lamina. Those along the furrowed middle are short & crowded together, & their glands are of a much paler pink than the others. (On the posterior or under surface there are near to the margin, there are a few tentacles shorter than those in the margin & this is a unique case. (a)

The pedicels of the tentacles are green.

Spiral vessels run up to tentacles & structure on casual inspection of the glands (with the spiral cells within) seem like the round-Headed of D. rotund: The The most novel character in the plant is the presence on the both surface of the leaf of minute almost sessile glands; that divided into 4 or 8 & perhaps more from about 6 to 10 or 12 compartments. All These on the back contain contains pale purple protoplasmic

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(a) (try secretion) These dorsal or inferior t. arise not far from margin are very much shorter than the exterior ones on the margin itself. They form an irregular interrupted row, for they vary in presence, & on some leaves vary much in length, some being extremely short. They thus almost graduate into the minute sessile glands.—) It is highly remarkable that then branch put into C. of Amm. (1 gr. to 1 oz) they do not become incurved upwards like all those on the far upper surface, but remain upright.

I did at first think that they then became bowed to central line of inferior surface; but when old they spontaneously often bow in this direction. On one lamina I counted 21 on of these tentacles along one side of back. They have spiral vessels & normal normal structure, & absorb. the C. of Amm. & glands blacken & protoplasm aggregates into dark spheres.

(Sept 11th 8° 30' Two laminæ were placed yesterday at 5° in C. of Amm 1 gr. 2 oz & now all upper tentacles well incurved on upper surface, but the vast majority of those on lower surface no way affected — a very few are incurved, but this occurs spontaneously when old & a few curved in line of long-axis of leaf. Leaves were examined before immersion & all curved to centre

[in margin:] (Sept 11')— (I have now tried exper. with am. on a 3d Branch.) It is certain that these short dorsal tentacles have no power of inflection, like those of Drosophyllum

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D. dichotoma

matter, whilst most of those on the upper surface are green. On the longer petioles there are similar glands as I suppose of a pale purple colour. (a)

These glands do not secrete viscid fluid & remind us of those on Drosophyllum & Dionæa but apparently absorb. for they were black darkened like the ordinary glands by immersion for a short time in C. of Amm. 1 gr. to 1 oz.

They explain the little point in D. rotundifolia; but they except that they are absent on the pedicels of tentacles.— These minute glands on both upper & lower surface were blackened in 5' by immersion, in a little sol. of 1 gr. to 1 oz of water — So no doubt absorb— & their protoplasmic contents become aggregated

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(a) but they were mostly in a shrivelled condition on the older footstalks & seem to be merely divided into 2 compartments

(The presence of tentacles on back of leaf & their not incurving & their rudimentary & variable condition, together with still more rudimentary glands on the petioles — all most interesting resemblance to Drosophyllum.—

The dorsal tentacles are so short that they cd. not reach, if they bent in proper direction, anything on upper surface. There wd be no use in their moving to middle of back of leaf — as object is to entangle insects more perfectly & bring into contact with many glands, wd bring it in contact with minute sessile glands.

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In function same as other species— glands of exterior tentacle moistened with saliva become greatly curved in 4° — particles of glass on do caused the same in same time meat caused good inflection in 3'.

A bit of raw meat placed on middle of furrow was well clasped by tentacles on both sides in 2° 10' —

A piece of leaf immersed in C. of Am 1 gr. to 1 oz had every tentacle inflected on both sides & glands blackened in 5'

A bit of roast meat on medial furrow caused much inflection in 40'. ─ other Flies & bit of meat were well clasped after 18° 20°. the pe glands with particles of glass reexpanded after about 22° — Two Bits of glass put on medial furrow did not cause inflection on 2 sides.— Bits of albumen & fibrin

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Sept 11

I have looked carefully at the minute sessile purple glands (sometimes a dozen compartments I believe) & are think they are dry — but 2°-3° after rubbing with bit of raw meat & saliva, they all appeared to be secreting slightly; yet very difficult to feel quite sure.─

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D. dichotoma

did not much excite glands — but Only tried twice a bit of meat placed near attenuated apex did not cause any bending & I saw no signs anywhere of bending of lamina.

Secretion acid, after excitement.

In one case a bit of meat caused secretion to run far down the furrowed middle & this excited the glands on both sides for some distance.—

The minute sessile glands are probably not rudiment, but retained primordial glands of Drosophyllum & which have become rudimentary in ordinary Drosera.—

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