Cape Sundew (Drosera capensis)

Cape Sundew (Drosera capensis) is a small rosette-forming species of perennial sundew native to the Cape in South Africa. Because of its size, easy to grow nature, and the copious amounts of seed it produces, it has become one of the most common sundews in cultivation. It produces strap-like leaves, up to 15 cm long and 1 cm wide, which, as in all sundews, are covered in brightly coloured tentacles which secrete a sticky mucilage that traps insects. When insects are first trapped, the leaves roll lengthwise by thigmotropism, which aids digestion by bringing more digestive glands in contact with the prey item. The plant has a tendency to retain the dead leaves of previous seasons, and the main stem of the plant can become quite long and woody with time.

It has multiple cultivars, such as var. alba which is a white form with pink trichomes. There is also a “red form” that turns blood red in full sunlight, a broad leaf variety, and also a narrow- leafed form.

Taxonomy:

Kingdom : Plantae
Division : Magnoliophyta
Class : Magnoliopsida
Order : Caryophyllales
Family : Droseraceae
Genus : Drosera
Species : Drosera capensis

Pronunciation/Meaning:

• Drosera (DROSS-er-uh) - From the Greek droseros meaning dewy.
• capensis (ka-PEN-sis) - Of or from the cape.

Common Names:

• Cape Sundew, Sundew

Links:

• Plant of the Week - Cape Sundew

Image Courtesy of Robert Co.

Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)

The Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is a carnivorous plant that catches and digests animal prey (mostly insects and arachnids). The trapping structure is formed by the terminal portion of each of the plant’s leaves. The plant’s name refers to Venus, the Roman goddess of love.

The Venus flytrap is perhaps one of the best-known and most awesome plants. Its leaves are modified in an extraordinary way in order to feed on insects, although it does still obtain energy from the sun. The plant is an innocuous looking rosette, but the leaf blades terminate in distinctive bivalve traps with sharply toothed edges. The outside of the traps is generally green whilst the insides have red pigment that varies in shade depending on the age of the trap; on the edge of each lobe there are 14-20 teeth that point radially from the trap. The flower stalk is devoid of leaves (known as a scape) and can reach up to 30 cm tall. In season, small white flowers are born with faint green veins; the seed capsules are flat and contain a single, shiny black seed.

Taxonomy:

Kingdom : Plantae
Division : Magnoliophyta
Class : Magnoliopsida
Order : Caryophyllales
Family : Droseraceae
Genus : Dionaea
Species : Dionaea muscipula

Pronunciation/Meaning:

• Dionaea (dy-OH-nee-uh) - From the Greek name for Venus.
• muscipula (musk-ip-oola) - Fly catching.

Common Names:

• Venus Flytrap

Links:

• Arkive - Venus Flytrap
• How to grow a Venus Flytrap
• How to grow Venus Flytrap

Image Courtesy of David Midgley (petrichor).

Thread Leaf Sundew (Drosera filiformis)

Thread Leaf Sundew (Drosera filiformis) is a small, rare carnivorous wild flower that only grows in bogs. It produces up to 15 purplish flowers with yellow centres on the elongate, leafless flowering stalk that often forms a broad crook at its tip. It is an herbaceous perennial that grows long, erect, thread-like leaves each summer from a whitish tuber. Numerous reddish-purple, sticky, hair-like glands cover the leaves and trap small arthropods (insects and spiders). Enzymes in the droplets digest the trapped victims that serve as an additional source of nutrients.

Thread-leaved sundew is a perennial, low-growing, herbaceous plant. It is capable of photosynthesis. However, it is also a “carnivore” that captures small invertebrates on its sticky leaves, digests them, and absorbs some of the nutrients.

Taxonomy:

Kingdom : Plantae
Division : Magnoliophyta
Class : Magnoliopsida
Order : Caryophyllales
Family : Droseraceae
Genus : Drosera
Species : Drosera filiformis

Pronunciation/Meaning:

• Drosera (DROSS-er-uh) - From the Greek droseros meaning dewy.
• filiformis (fil-ih-FOR-miss) - Threadlike.

Common Names:

• Thread Leaf Sundew, Dewthreads

Links:

• International Carnivorous Plant Society (ICPS) Seed Bank - Thread Leaf Sundew
• Government of Canada : Depository Services Program - Thread Leaf Sundew

Image Courtesy of David Midgley (petrichor).

Trigger Plant (Stylidium productum)

Trigger Plant (Stylidium productum) is a fairly common perennial herb found in heath and open forest on sandy soils. The grass-like leaves occur in tufts scattered along and at the end of sprawling stems. Young plants have leaves arising from the base and are easily confused with another Trigger plant, S. graminifolium.

The flowers are pink, in a terminal spike at the end of a tall stalk. The common name comes from the plants’ method of pollination. A tube containing the style and 2 anthers is usually bent back below the flower. When an insect lands on the centre of the flower, the tube jumps up to strike the insect, covering it with pollen which it then takes to another flower. The “trigger” usually resets itself within about 20 minutes.

Taxonomy:

Kingdom : Plantae
Division : Magnoliophyta
Class : Magnoliopsida
Order : Asterales
Family : Stylidiaceae
Subfamily : Stylidioideae
Genus : Stylidium
Species : Stylidium productum

Pronunciation/Meaning:

• Stylidium (sty-LID-ee-um) - From the Greek stylos (column), referring to the united stamens and style.
• productum (pro-DUK-tum) - From the Latin productus, meaning lengthened or elongated.

Common Names:

• Trigger plant

Links:

• PlantNet -Trigger Plant
• ZipCodeZoo -Trigger Plant

Image Courtesy of David Midgley.