Sundews Carnivorous Plant (Drosera)
There are about one hundred known species of this Genus, about half of
which are native to Australia. These plants range from the short and
flat Drosera Hamiltoni to the tall and stringy Drosera Gigantea which
grows up to 100 centimeters tall.
One characteristic common to all Drosera is the tentacles on the
leaves which have droplets of water containing a sticky substance hold
the insect and eventually dissolve the prey, sending nourishment to the
rest of the plant.
Species
Drosera Adelae - is native in North Australia and exists in
marshy creek areas. This plant has quite long and thin leaves which grow
to 20 centimeters.
Drosera Binata - this is quite a tall plant with leaf stalks up to 30
centimeters. The Binata, like many Australian Drosera, goes into winter
dormancy. This simply means that the portion of the plant lying above
the soil will dry up, or die and rot off, leaving the base of the plant,
the root system, still intact.
Drosera Erythrorhiza - The Erythrorhiza is native to West Australia
and comes up in dry sandy soil during autumn.
Drosera Gigantea - As its name implies, this is one of the biggest of
the Drosera.
Drosera Cistiflora - like the Binata this plant also goes into
dormancy, forming a rhyzone to survive the drier weather.
Drosera Hamiltoni - The Hamiltoni is one of the rosette type of
Drosera, and has flat, green to burgundy leaves radiating from the
centre of the plant.
Drosera Pygmaea - as the name suggests tis plant is one of the
smallest of the Drosera, little bigger than a one cent coin.
Drosera Whittakerii - Like the Peltata this plant resorts to a
dormant tuber in summer, and re-emerges again in autumn.
Care
A sign of a healthy drosera is one that has droplets of water on each
of the tentacles. Often these will disappear during the extreme heat
periods of the day and then re-appear as the day becomes cooler towards
evening. For many Drosera this is their natural condition. Water the
plant well and move it to a better location.
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