File:Contributions from the Botanical Laboratory, vol. 11 (1934) (20679039052).jpg

Title: Contributions from the Botanical Laboratory, vol. 11
Identifier: contributionsfro11univ (find matches)
Year: 1934 (1930s)
Authors: University of Pennsylvania. Botanical Laboratory; University of Pennsylvania. Morris Arboretum
Subjects: Botany; Botany
Publisher: Philadelphia : (s. n. )
Contributing Library: Penn State University
Digitizing Sponsor: Lyrasis Members and Sloan Foundation

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then turned north-eastward for nearly nine miles as Davenport Branch when it joined two lesser streams, Wrangel Branch and Sunken Branch. These together formed a somewhat enlarged pond which in turn narrowed into a stream emptying into the Toms River at the county seat of that name. Many years ago, however, the Pennsylvania Railroad was first cut through, and continued from Whitings to Toms River and onward. In the process a railroad embankment was formed that cut across the depression in the midst of which Davenport Branch flowed. In constructing the embankment a trestle bridge about fifteen feet long was built across the actual stream. During spring freshets this embankment formed a slight temporary dam and restricted the flood water to the one outlet channel, which in the course of time was excavated so as to produce a pond that steadily increased in width and depth. Into this expanding lake, under normal environal conditions, a gentle precipitation of decomposing animal and vegetable remains was carried downward. These remains together with the inorganic mud gave rise to a fine, silty deposit or muck over the sandy lake floor. This evidently formed an excep- tionally rich and loose soil in which plants of Sarracenia could readily root while the protruding jntchers above could capture an ample supply of insects. Such clearly must have been the conditions which favoured an abundant growth of luxuriant Sarracenia plants. The soft, silty muck now varies in depth from three to twelve inches along the shore line, to as much as two or three feet in deeper water. The deepest parts of the lake, along its median curved line, are from four to six feet deep. At the time of the first visit in 1894 many of the white cedars were tall, thick trees which, along with those of lesser growth, formed an imposing cincture to the pond margin. About ten years later, however, the larger trees were cut out, and this seemed to admit abundant sunlight which gave crimson colour to the pitcher plants beneath, as well as to those farther out in the open. The surface of the pond margin that had been invaded by the Sarracenias was on an average three feet in width, but in places as much as ten to twelve feet. So solidly were the plants grown together, and so closely rooted amid the sphagum and silty mud, that one inclined almost to step out amongst them as if on firm ground. Mention has been made of the varying colour of the leaves of the Sarracenia plants. These showed a transition from uniform green in the deeper shade of the cedars, swamp magnolias and swamp blueberries, to a dark crimson-purple hue over the entire surface of the pitcher where fully exposed to strong sunlight. A similar variability is observable also from northern Maine southward to northern Florida, or for a distance of 1300 miles, and is equally characteristic for such southern species as S. Drummondii and S. psittacina. The colour of the upper leaf surface in Venus' flytrap •J 7 0
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