OCR Text |
Show PLANTS THAT STORE WATER. Product of Sonora Desert Which 8c I entlsts Have Gone to Study. A gentleman connected with the Carnegie Institute will leave this coun try shortly on an extended exploration of tho deserts of central and southern Mexico to study tho Btorngo of watei by certain plantB growing In those ro gions. It hiiri developed that In" places, where thero Is only a slight, Irregular rainfall, plants peculiar to the district have no special reservoirs for the stor age of water, while In regions where thu rainfall Is confined to brief regu lar periods, plants arc found whlct are provided with various devices for storing water for consumption during dry spells. An example of this provision of na ture lias been discovered In a "guaro qui," a relnatlve of the squash and pumpkin, which flourishes In tho des ert or Sonora, a locality In which ul! thu rain falls in n period or six weeks Tho huso of the stem of tho plant It swollen to form a hard woody struc tore, In time reaching tho size or a largo squash. The grny of tho sands or tho Sonorn Is Iniltnted In tho color ot the cover lug or the inns, presenting tho np penranco of a worn grny boulder pro Jcctlng above the sand, while the structure Is as hard as Btone. Tlilf Structure catches tho rain and holdi it. doling out tho precious drops tc the plant during tho dry spell follow Ing. At tho close of tho rainy season the vlnellko stems of tho plant die down the small roots dry up, and the plant In tho rorm of Its tuber, lies dormant on tho burning sands throughout the long hot months following. Whon tho rulny season again ro turns tho plant roforius its roots stems, leaves nnd flowers, completes Its short senson of activity nnd then resumes its Innctlvo llfo through the succeeding dry senson, repenting the perfornutneo year nftetr year. Some or theso plants hnvo accomplished thlt fent flvo years In succession. |