The Carnivorous Plants - Tapa dura

Reseña del editor

CARNIVOROUS PLANTS by FRANCIS ERNEST LLOYD. PREFACE: The experience which has led to the writing of this book began in 1929 when, examining a species related to Utricularia gibba, / made an observation of some importance in understanding the mechanism of the trap. This begot a desire to study as many other species of the genus as I could obtain for com parison, primarily to determine the validity of my conclusions. My feeling that research in this field was promising was strengthened by the discovery that the pertinent literature was singularly barren of the information most needed, that is to say, precise accounts of the structure of the entrance mechanisms of the traps. And an examination of much herbarium material, because of the meagreness of the underground parts of the terrestrial types resulting from indifferent methods of collection, forced the conclusion that, even had other difficulties inherent in studying dried material not intervened, it would be necessary to obtain adequately preserved specimens. This meant a wide cor re spondence and, if possible, extensive travel. The uncertainty of achieving the latter made the former imperative. The responses to my requests for help were numerous and generous from all parts of the world, with the result that there came to me from many sources well preserved material which fairly represented the genus, for it brought to me some 100 of the total of 250 or more species. The most lavish single contribu tion was put at my disposal by my teacher and friend, KARL VON GOEBEL, who gave me a collection of Utricularia collected by him in the tropics of the Old and New Worlds, and in temperate Australia. Many others, while they may have contributed less in amount, could have been no less generous, for the work of collecting, preserving, packing and posting specimens is by no means an easy job. Travels included two journeys, one to Africa and one to Africa and Aus tralia, the latter made possible by a parting gift from my colleagues of McGill University on my retirement from the Macdonald Chair of Botany in 1935. At the university centres visited I was afforded all kinds of help: laboratory space, guidance to promising localities and means of transportation. Several summers were spent also at the Botanical Institute of the University of Munich on the original invitation of Professor GOEBEL, seconded, after his death, by Professor F. VON WETTSTEIN and his successor Dr. F. C. VON FABER. During my preoccupation with Utricularia / had to prepare two presi dential addresses, and I was thus led, as has many another in like circum stances, to give an account of the whole field of plant carnivory. My interests were widened in this way, and soon I became imbued with the idea of bringing together, and perhaps of adding to, our knowledge of this fascinating group of plants.