Insectivorous Plants Part 4

Experiment 10.--A leaf was plunged in water at 150o to 150 1/2o (65o.5 Cent.); it became somewhat flaccid, with the outer tentacles slightly reflexed, and the inner ones a little bent inwards, but only towards their tips; and this latter fact shows that the movement was not one of true inflection, as the basal part alone normally bends. The tentacles were as usual rendered of a very bright red, with the glands almost white like porcelain, yet tinged with pink. The leaf having been placed in the strong solution, the cell-contents of the tentacles became of a muddy-brown, with no trace of aggregation. [page 72]

Experiment 11.--A leaf was immersed in water at 145o (62o.7 Cent.), which was raised to 156o (68o.8 Cent.). The tentacles became bright red and somewhat reflexed, with almost all the glands like porcelain; those on the disc being still pinkish, those near the margin quite white. The leaf being placed as usual first in cold water and then in the strong solution, the cells in the tentacles became of a muddy greenish brown, with the protoplasm not aggregated. Nevertheless, four of the glands escaped being rendered like porcelain, and the pedicels of these glands were spirally curled, like a French horn, towards their upper ends; but this can by no means be considered as a case of true inflection. The protoplasm within the cells of the twisted portions was aggregated into distinct though excessively minute purple spheres. This case shows clearly that the protoplasm, after having been exposed to a high temperature for a few minutes, is capable of aggregation when afterwards subjected to the action of carbonate of ammonia, unless the heat has been sufficient to cause coagulation.]

Concluding Remarks.--As the hair-like tentacles are extremely thin and have delicate walls, and as the leaves were waved about for some minutes close to the bulb of the thermometer, it seems scarcely possible that they should not have been raised very nearly to the temperature which the instrument indicated. From the eleven last observations we see that a temperature of 130o (54o.4 Cent.) never causes the immediate inflection of the tentacles, though a temperature from 120o to 125o (48o.8 to 51o.6 Cent.) quickly produces this effect.

But the leaves are paralysed only for a time by a temperature of 130o, as afterwards, whether left in simple water or in a solution of carbonate of ammonia, they become inflected and their protoplasm undergoes aggregation. This great difference in the effects of a higher and lower temperature may be compared with that from immersion in strong and weak solutions of the salts of ammonia; for the former do not excite movement, whereas the latter act energetically. A temporary suspension of the [page 73] power of movement due to heat is called by Sachs* heat-rigidity; and this in the case of the sensitive-plant (Mimosa) is induced by its exposure for a few minutes to humid air, raised to 120o-122o Fahr., or 49o to 50o Cent. It deserves notice that the leaves of Drosera, after being immersed in water at 130o Fahr., are excited into movement by a solution of the carbonate so strong that it would paralyse ordinary leaves and cause no inflection.

The exposure of the leaves for a few minutes even to a temperature of 145o Fahr. (62o.7 Cent.) does not always kill them; as when afterwards left in cold water, or in a strong solution of carbonate of ammonia, they generally, though not always, become inflected; and the protoplasm within their cells undergoes aggregation, though the spheres thus formed are extremely small, with many of the cells partly filled with brownish muddy matter. In two instances, when leaves were immersed in water, at a lower temperature than 130o (54o.4 Cent.), which was then raised to 145o (62o.7 Cent.), they became during the earlier period of immersion inflected, but on being afterwards left in cold water were incapable of re-expansion. Exposure for a few minutes to a temperature of 145o sometimes causes some few of the more sensitive glands to be speckled with the porcelain-like appearance; and on one occasion this occurred at a temperature of 140o (60o Cent.). On another occasion, when a leaf was placed in water at this temperature of only 140o, and left therein till the water cooled, every gland became like porcelain.

Exposure for a few minutes to a temperature of 150o (65o.5 Cent.) generally produces this effect, yet many glands retain a

* 'Trait de Bot.' 1874, p. 1034. [page 74]

pinkish colour, and many present a speckled appearance. This high temperature never causes true inflection; on the contrary, the tentacles commonly become reflexed, though to a less degree than when immersed in boiling water; and this apparently is due to their pa.s.sive power of elasticity. After exposure to a temperature of 150o Fahr., the protoplasm, if subsequently subjected to carbonate of ammonia, instead of undergoing aggregation, is converted into disintegrated or pulpy discoloured matter. In short, the leaves are generally killed by this degree of heat; but owing to differences of age or const.i.tution, they vary somewhat in this respect. In one anomalous case, four out of the many glands on a leaf, which had been immersed in water raised to 156o (68o.8 Cent.), escaped being rendered porcellanous;* and the protoplasm in the cells close beneath these glands underwent some slight, though imperfect, degree of aggregation.

Finally, it is a remarkable fact that the leaves of Drosera rotundifolia, which flourishes on bleak upland moors throughout Great Britain, and exists (Hooker) within the Arctic Circle, should be able to withstand for even a short time immersion in water heated to a temperature of 145o.

It may be worth adding that immersion in cold

* As the opacity and porcelain-like appearance of the glands is probably due to the coagulation of the alb.u.men, I may add, on the authority of Dr. Burdon Sanderson, that alb.u.men coagulates at about 155o, but, in presence of acids, the temperature of coagulation is lower. The leaves of Drosera contain an acid, and perhaps a difference in the amount contained may account for the slight differences in the results above recorded.

It appears that cold-blooded animals are, as might have been expected, far more sensitive to an increase of temperature than is Drosera. Thus, as I hear from Dr. Burdon Sanderson, a frog begins to be distressed in water at a temperature of only 85o Fahr. At 95o the muscles become rigid, and the animal dies in a stiffened condition.

[page 75]

water does not cause any inflection: I suddenly placed four leaves, taken from plants which had been kept for several days at a high temperature, generally about 75o Fahr. (23o.8 Cent.), in water at 45o (7o.2 Cent.), but they were hardly at all affected; not so much as some other leaves from the same plants, which were at the same time immersed in water at 75o; for these became in a slight degree inflected. [page 76]

CHAPTER V.

THE EFFECTS OF NON-NITROGENOUS AND NITROGENOUS ORGANIC FLUIDS ON THE LEAVES.

Non-nitrogenous fluids--Solutions of gum arabic--Sugar--Starch--Diluted alcohol--Olive oil-- Infusion and decoction of tea--Nitrogenous fluids--Milk--Urine--Liquid alb.u.men--Infusion of raw meat--Impure mucus--Saliva--Solution of isingla.s.s--Difference in the action of these two sets of fluids--Decoction of green peas--Decoction and infusion of cabbage--Decoction of gra.s.s leaves.

WHEN, in 1860, I first observed Drosera, and was led to believe that the leaves absorbed nutritious matter from the insects which they captured, it seemed to me a good plan to make some preliminary trials with a few common fluids, containing and not containing nitrogenous matter; and the results are worth giving.

In all the following cases a drop was allowed to fall from the same pointed instrument on the centre of the leaf; and by repeated trials one of these drops was ascertained to be on an average very nearly half a minim, or 1/960 of a fluid ounce, or .0295 ml. But these measurements obviously do not pretend to any strict accuracy; moreover, the drops of the viscid fluids were plainly larger than those of water. Only one leaf on the same plant was tried, and the plants were collected from two distant localities. The experiments were made during August and September. In judging of the effects, one caution is necessary: if a drop of any adhesive fluid is placed on an old or feeble leaf, the glands of which have ceased to secrete copiously, the drop sometimes dries up, especially if the plant [page 77] is kept in a room, and some of the central and submarginal tentacles are thus drawn together, giving to them the false appearance of having become inflected. This sometimes occurs with water, as it is rendered adhesive by mingling with the viscid secretion. Hence the only safe criterion, and to this alone I have trusted, is the bending inwards of the exterior tentacles, which have not been touched by the fluid, or at most only at their bases. In this case the movement is wholly due to the central glands having been stimulated by the fluid, and transmitting a motor impulse to the exterior tentacles. The blade of the leaf likewise often curves inwards, in the same manner as when an insect or bit of meat is placed on the disc. This latter movement is never caused, as far as I have seen, by the mere drying up of an adhesive fluid and the consequent drawing together of the tentacles.

First for the non-nitrogenous fluids. As a preliminary trial, drops of distilled water were placed on between thirty and forty leaves, and no effect whatever was produced; nevertheless, in some other and rare cases, a few tentacles became for a short time inflected; but this may have been caused by the glands having been accidentally touched in getting the leaves into a proper position. That water should produce no effect might have been antic.i.p.ated, as otherwise the leaves would have been excited into movement by every shower of rain.

[Gum arabic.--Solutions of four degrees of strength were made; one of six grains to the ounce of water (one part to 73); a second rather stronger, yet very thin; a third moderately thick, and a fourth so thick that it would only just drop from a pointed instrument. These were tried on fourteen leaves; the drops being left on the discs from 24 hrs. to 44 hrs.; generally about [page 78] 30 hrs. Inflection was never thus caused. It is necessary to try pure gum arabic, for a friend tried a solution bought ready prepared, and this caused the tentacles to bend; but he afterwards ascertained that it contained much animal matter, probably glue.

Sugar.--Drops of a solution of white sugar of three strengths (the weakest containing one part of sugar to 73 of water) were left on fourteen leaves from 32 hrs. to 48 hrs.; but no effect was produced.

Starch.--A mixture about as thick as cream was dropped on six leaves and left on them for 30 hrs., no effect being produced. I am surprised at this fact, as I believe that the starch of commerce generally contains a trace of gluten, and this nitrogenous substance causes inflection, as we shall see in the next chapter.

Alcohol, Diluted.--One part of alcohol was added to seven of water, and the usual drops were placed on the discs of three leaves. No inflection ensued in the course of 48 hrs. To ascertain whether these leaves had been at all injured, bits of meat were placed on them, and after 24 hrs. they were closely inflected. I also put drops of sherry-wine on three other leaves; no inflection was caused, though two of them seemed somewhat injured. We shall hereafter see that cut off leaves immersed in diluted alcohol of the above strength do not become inflected.

Olive Oil.--drops were placed on the discs of eleven leaves, and no effect was produced in from 24 hrs. to 48 hrs. Four of these leaves were then tested by bits of meat on their discs, and three of them were found after 24 hrs. with all their tentacles and blades closely inflected, whilst the fourth had only a few tentacles inflected. It will, however, be shown in a future place, that cut off leaves immersed in olive oil are powerfully affected.

Infusion and Decoction of Tea.--Drops of a strong infusion and decoction, as well as of a rather weak decoction, of tea were placed on ten leaves, none of which became inflected. I afterwards tested three of them by adding bits of meat to the drops which still remained on their discs, and when I examined them after 24 hrs. they were closely inflected. The chemical principle of tea, namely theine, was subsequently tried and produced no effect. The alb.u.minous matter which the leaves must originally have contained, no doubt, had been rendered insoluble by their having been completely dried.]

We thus see that, excluding the experiments with water, sixty-one leaves were tried with drops of the [page 79] above-named non-nitrogenous fluids; and the tentacles were not in a single case inflected.

[With respect to nitrogenous fluids, the first which came to hand were tried. The experiments were made at the same time and in exactly the same manner as the foregoing. As it was immediately evident that these fluids produced a great effect, I neglected in most cases to record how soon the tentacles became inflected. But this always occurred in less than 24 hrs.; whilst the drops of non-nitrogenous fluids which produced no effect were observed in every case during a considerably longer period.

Milk.--Drops were placed on sixteen leaves, and the tentacles of all, as well as the blades of several, soon became greatly inflected. The periods were recorded in only three cases, namely, with leaves on which unusually small drops had been placed. Their tentacles were somewhat inflected in 45 m.; and after 7 hrs. 45 m. the blades of two were so much curved inwards that they formed little cups enclosing the drops.

These leaves re-expanded on the third day. On another occasion the blade of a leaf was much inflected in 5 hrs. after a drop of milk had been placed on it.

Human Urine.--Drops were placed on twelve leaves, and the tentacles of all, with a single exception, became greatly inflected. Owing, I presume, to differences in the chemical nature of the urine on different occasions, the time required for the movements of the tentacles varied much, but was always effected in under 24 hrs. In two instances I recorded that all the exterior tentacles were completely inflected in 17 hrs., but not the blade of the leaf. In another case the edges of a leaf, after 25 hrs. 30 m., became so strongly inflected that it was converted into a cup. The power of urine does not lie in the urea, which, as we shall hereafter see, is inoperative.

Alb.u.men (fresh from a hen's egg), placed on seven leaves, caused the tentacles of six of them to be well inflected. In one case the edge of the leaf itself became much curled in after 20 hrs. The one leaf which was unaffected remained so for 26 hrs., and was then treated with a drop of milk, and this caused the tentacles to bend inwards in 12 hrs.

Cold Filtered Infusion of Raw Meat.--This was tried only on a single leaf, which had most of its outer tentacles and the blade inflected in 19 hrs. During subsequent years, I repeatedly used this infusion to test leaves which had been experimented [page 80] on with other substances, and it was found to act most energetically, but as no exact account of these trials was kept, they are not here introduced.

Mucus.--Thick and thin mucus from the bronchial tubes, placed on three leaves, caused inflection. A leaf with thin mucus had its marginal tentacles and blade somewhat curved inward in 5 hrs. 30 m., and greatly so in 20 hrs. The action of this fluid no doubt is due either to the saliva or to some alb.u.minous matter* mingled with it, and not, as we shall see in the next chapter, to mucin or the chemical principle of mucus.

Saliva.--Human saliva, when evaporated, yields from 1.14 to 1.19 per cent. of residue; and this yields 0.25 per cent. of ashes, so that the proportion of nitrogenous matter which saliva contains must be small.

Nevertheless, drops placed on the discs of eight leaves acted on them all. In one case all the exterior tentacles, excepting nine, were inflected in 19 hrs. 30 m.; in another case a few became so in 2 hrs., and after 7 hrs. 30 m. all those situated near where the drop lay, as well as the blade, were acted on. Since making these trials, I have many scores of times just touched glands with the handle of my scalpel wetted with saliva, to ascertain whether a leaf was in an active condition; for this was shown in the course of a few minutes by the bending inwards of the tentacles. The edible nest of the Chinese swallow is formed of matter secreted by the salivary glands; two grains were added to one ounce of distilled water (one part to 218), which was boiled for several minutes, but did not dissolve the whole. The usual-sized drops were placed on three leaves, and these in 1 hr. 30 m.

were well, and in 2 hrs. 15 m. closely, inflected.

Isingla.s.s.--Drops of a solution about as thick as milk, and of a still thicker solution, were placed on eight leaves, and the tentacles of all became inflected. In one case the exterior tentacles were well curved in after 6 hrs. 30 m., and the blade of the leaf to a partial extent after 24 hrs. As saliva acted so efficiently, and yet contains so small a proportion of nitrogenous matter, I tried how small a quant.i.ty of isingla.s.s would act. One part was dissolved in 218 parts of distilled water, and drops were placed on four leaves. After 5 hrs. two of these were considerably and two moderately inflected; after 22 hrs. the former were greatly and the latter much more inflected. In the course of 48 hrs.

* Mucus from the air-pa.s.sages is said in Marshall, 'Outlines of Physiology,' vol. ii. 1867, p. 364, to contain some alb.u.men.

Mller's 'Elements of Physiology,' Eng. Trans. vol. i., p. 514. [page 81]

from the time when the drops were placed on the leaves, all four had almost re-expanded. They were then given little bits of meat, and these acted more powerfully than the solution. One part of isingla.s.s was next dissolved in 437 of water; the fluid thus formed was so thin that it could not be distinguished from pure water. The usual-sized drops were placed on seven leaves, each of which thus received 1/960 of a grain (.0295 mg.). Three of them were observed for 41 hrs., but were in no way affected; the fourth and fifth had two or three of their exterior tentacles inflected after 18 hrs.; the sixth had a few more; and the seventh had in addition the edge of the leaf just perceptibly curved inwards. The tentacles of the four latter leaves began to re-expand after an additional interval of only 8 hrs. Hence the 1/960 of a grain of isingla.s.s is sufficient to affect very slightly the more sensitive or active leaves. On one of the leaves, which had not been acted on by the weak solution, and on another, which had only two of its tentacles inflected, drops of the solution as thick as milk were placed; and next morning, after an interval of 16 hrs., both were found with all their tentacles strongly inflected.]

Altogether I experimented on sixty-four leaves with the above nitrogenous fluids, the five leaves tried only with the extremely weak solution of isingla.s.s not being included, nor the numerous trials subsequently made, of which no exact account was kept. Of these sixty-four leaves, sixty-three had their tentacles and often their blades well inflected. The one which failed was probably too old and torpid. But to obtain so large a proportion of successful cases, care must be taken to select young and active leaves. Leaves in this condition were chosen with equal care for the sixty-one trials with non-nitrogenous fluids (water not included); and we have seen that not one of these was in the least affected. We may therefore safely conclude that in the sixty-four experiments with nitrogenous fluids the inflection of the exterior tentacles was due to the absorption of [page 82] nitrogenous matter by the glands of the tentacles on the disc.

Some of the leaves which were not affected by the non-nitrogenous fluids were, as above stated, immediately afterwards tested with bits of meat, and were thus proved to be in an active condition. But in addition to these trials, twenty-three of the leaves, with drops of gum, syrup, or starch, still lying on their discs, which had produced no effect in the course of between 24 hrs. and 48 hrs., were then tested with drops of milk, urine, or alb.u.men. Of the twenty-three leaves thus treated, seventeen had their tentacles, and in some cases their blades, well inflected; but their powers were somewhat impaired, for the rate of movement was decidedly slower than when fresh leaves were treated with these same nitrogenous fluids. This impairment, as well as the insensibility of six of the leaves, may be attributed to injury from exosmose, caused by the density of the fluids placed on their discs.

[The results of a few other experiments with nitrogenous fluids may be here conveniently given. Decoctions of some vegetables, known to be rich in nitrogen, were made, and these acted like animal fluids. Thus, a few green peas were boiled for some time in distilled water, and the moderately thick decoction thus made was allowed to settle. Drops of the superinc.u.mbent fluid were placed on four leaves, and when these were looked at after 16 hrs., the tentacles and blades of all were found strongly inflected. I infer from a remark by Gerhardt* that legumin is present in peas "in combination with an alkali, forming an incoagulable solution," and this would mingle with boiling water. I may mention, in relation to the above and following experiments, that according to Schiff certain forms of alb.u.men

* Watts' 'Dictionary of Chemistry,' vol. iii., p. 568.

'Leons sur la Phys. de la Digestion,' tom. i, p. 379; tom. ii. pp.

154, 166, on legumin. [page 83]

exist which are not coagulated by boiling water, but are converted into soluble peptones.

On three occasions chopped cabbage-leaves* were boiled in distilled water for 1 hr. or for 1 1/4 hr.; and by decanting the decoction after it had been allowed to rest, a pale dirty green fluid was obtained. The usual-sized drops were placed on thirteen leaves. Their tentacles and blades were inflected after 4 hrs. to a quite extraordinary degree.

Next day the protoplasm within the cells of the tentacles was found aggregated in the most strongly marked manner. I also touched the viscid secretion round the glands of several tentacles with minute drops of the decoction on the head of a small pin, and they became well inflected in a few minutes. The fluid proving so powerful, one part was diluted with three of water, and drops were placed on the discs of five leaves; and these next morning were so much acted on that their blades were completely doubled over. We thus see that a decoction of cabbage-leaves is nearly or quite as potent as an infusion of raw meat.

About the same quant.i.ty of chopped cabbage-leaves and of distilled water, as in the last experiment, were kept in a vessel for 20 hrs. in a hot closet, but not heated to near the boiling-point. Drops of this infusion were placed on four leaves. One of these, after 23 hrs., was much inflected; a second slightly; a third had only the submarginal tentacles inflected; and the fourth was not at all affected. The power of this infusion is therefore very much less than that of the decoction; and it is clear that the immersion of cabbage-leaves for an hour in water at the boiling temperature is much more efficient in extracting matter which excites Drosera than immersion during many hours in warm water. Perhaps the contents of the cells are protected (as Schiff remarks with respect to legumin) by the walls being formed of cellulose, and that until these are ruptured by boiling-water, but little of the contained alb.u.minous matter is dissolved. We know from the strong odour of cooked cabbage-leaves that boiling water produces some chemical change in them, and that they are thus rendered far more digestible and nutritious to man. It is therefore an interesting

* The leaves of young plants, before the heart is formed, such as were used by me, contain 2.1 per cent. of alb.u.minous matter, and the outer leaves of mature plants 1.6 per cent. Watts' 'Dictionary of Chemistry,'

vol. i. p. 653. [page 84]