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Sonderbare Pflanzen
Beschreibungstext eng
Plants LXXV. Vol. IV. No. 2., REMARKABLE PLANTS., Fig. 1. The fetid Stapelia, or Carrion-Flower. (Stapelia hirsuta.), In this plant we are presented with a remarkable phaenomenon; nature has given it a perfectly animal smell, like that of putrified flesh, whence the name of Carrion-Flower has been given to it. Its native country is the Cape of Good Hope, but it may be rear'd in Europe within doors, or in a hot-house, by the means of slips. The stem consists of several pyramidal branches join'd angularly together, of about the size of the little finger and full of juice. From the end of these branches proceeds the flower stalk, which bears a large wheel-shap'd blossom. It is divided into five hairy pointed leaves, the ground-colour of which is yellow shaded with dark red. These blossoms exhale a smell so very like that of carrion, that the common flesh-fly is deceiv'd by them, flies to them and lays its eggs upon their leaves. But the maggots when hatch'd cannot live upon the juice of this flower, and die in a short time of hunger. The fruit in the shape of a pod, in which the hairy seeds lie, arises from the blossom., Fig. 2. The asham'd Mimosa, or Sensitive-plant. (Mimosa pudica.), Not less remarkable than the Carrion-flower is the modest Sensititive-plant here represented; it belongs to the numerous class of Mimosae, which consists of no less than seventy five sorts. It grows wild in the Brazils, but is now often rais'd from seed by the Gardeners in hot-houses. It is a shrub of the height of 2 feet with woody stalks. On the long stalks of the leaves, which, as well as the hairy chief stalks, are dark red, are plac'd the quadruply-divided leaves like feathers. The blossoms of a reddish colour grow on separate stalks, and are of a globular shape. The most remarkable quality of this plant is its wonderful irritability. The moment the plant is even slightly touch'd, but particularly so on the little spots at the bottom of each leaf, it draws back as if offended, and each leaf which is touch'd shrinks separately. If you continue to touch it, and that with less precaution, the whole stalk falls, and continues for several hours in this laxness, ‘till it at Iength recovers itself, and rises again.
