INSECTIVOROUS PLANTS By Charles Darwin CONTENTS DETAILED TABLE OF CONTENTS. INSECTIVOROUS PLANTS. CHAPTER I. DROSERA ROTUNDIFOLIA, OR THE COMMON SUN-DEW. CHAPTER II. THE MOVEMENTS OF THE TENTACLES FROM THE CONTACT OF SOLID BODIES. CHAPTER III. AGGREGATION OF THE PROTOPLASM WITHIN THE CELLS OF THE TENTACLES. CHAPTER IV. THE EFFECTS OF HEAT ON THE LEAVES. CHAPTER V. THE EFFECTS OF NON-NITROGENOUS AND NITROGENOUS ORGANIC FLUIDS ON THE LEAVES. CHAPTER VI. THE DIGESTIVE POWER OF THE SECRETION OF DROSERA. CHAPTER VII. THE EFFECTS OF SALTS OF AMMONIA. CHAPTER VIII. THE EFFECTS OF VARIOUS OTHER SALTS AND ACIDS ON THE LEAVES. CHAPTER IX. THE EFFECTS OF CERTAIN ALKALOID POISONS, OTHER SUBSTANCES AND VAPOURS. CHAPTER X. ON THE SENSITIVENESS OF THE LEAVES, AND ON THE LINES OF TRANSMISSION OF THE MOTOR IMPULSE. CHAPTER XI. RECAPITULATION OF THE CHIEF OBSERVATIONS ON DROSERA ROTUNDIFOLIA. CHAPTER XII. ON THE STRUCTURE AND MOVEMENTS OF SOME OTHER SPECIES OF DROSERA. CHAPTER XIII. DIONAEA MUSCIPULA. CHAPTER XIV. ALDROVANDA VESICULOSA. CHAPTER XV. DROSOPHYLLUM—RORIDULA—BYBLIS—GLANDULAR HAIRS OF OTHER PLANTS—CONCLUDING REMARKS ON THE DROSERACEÆ. CHAPTER XVI. PINGUICULA. CHAPTER XVII. UTRICULARIA. CHAPTER XVIII. UTRICULARIA (continued). CONCLUSION. INDEX. DETAILED TABLE OF CONTENTS. 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 the roots. CHAPTER II. THE MOVEMENTS OF THE TENTACLES FROM THE CONTACT OF SOLID BODIES. Inflection of the exterior tentacles owing to the glands of the disc being excited by repeated touches, or by objects left in contact with them—Difference in the action of bodies yielding and not yielding soluble nitrogenous matter—Inflection of the exterior tentacles directly caused by objects left in contact with their glands—Periods of commencing inflection and of subsequent re-expansion—Extreme minuteness of the particles causing inflection—Action under water—Inflection of the exterior tentacles when their glands are excited by repeated touches—Falling drops of water do not cause inflection.