Drosera gigantea

Drosera gigantea is a carnivorous plant in the genus Sundew ( Drosera ). It was first described in 1839 by John Lindley.

Description

Drosera gigantea is an erect, robust, grayish - green, hairless and up to 1 m high plant. It is sometimes completely burgundy and has many side branches, which also branch. In the early flowering stage are the only catch leaves along the branches. In the further growth phase, bunch up of 2 or 3 leaves. The lower part of the stems upright can reach up to 1 cm in diameter and is dotted with many pfriemförmigen, bald, 8 mm long bracts. Similar bracts, but differ in size, are located in the direction of plant tip at the leaf axils.

The leaf blades are sickle-shaped, 2.5 mm long and 3.5 mm wide, 3 mm long cloth at the corners and face outwards. Longer tentacles glands are located along the deep concave edge. Smaller tentacles glands inside. The leaf stalks are flattened round, slender, 8-10 mm long and pointed.

Flowering period is from August to December. The grape-like inflorescence sits at the top of the plant and the side branches and consists of many white flowers on 3-8 mm long pedicles. The sepals are rust-orange, ovate, 3 mm long and 1.5 mm wide. The margins are entire, the tips acute, often serrated, spotted bald and black. The petals are obovate, 5.5 mm long and 2.5 mm wide with slightly notched tips. The 5 stamens are 1.5 mm long, the stamens and the anthers are white, the yellow pollen. The ovary is dark brown, almost black, warty, nearly spherical, 1 mm in diameter and 0.8 mm long. The three pens are rust orange, 0.8 mm long and in the upper third in a few, rather thick, divided flattened circular segments. The scar is swollen and white irregular. They are located at the tip of each pen short segment.

The bulb is red, transversely elliptical, has a diameter of approximately 3 cm, a length of 1.5 cm and has no papery leaf sheath. The vertical foothills is embedded in a dense column of old root material and up to 60 cm long. Like all so-called " Knollendrosera " it contracts during periods of high temperatures and relative drought in these tuber back and survived underground.

Distribution, habitat and status

The species is endemic to the area of Albany, Perth and Jurien in the southwest of Australia. It thrives there on the edges of swamps, lakes and granite outcrops. Often the plant is actually in the water. Drosera gigantea grows in ponds and sandy Tonwatten on moist soils on elevated ground.

System

Drosera gigantea belongs to the subgenus Ergaleium, Section Ergaleium, ie to the Climbing Knollendrosera.

Swell

• Allen Lowrie: Carnivorous Plants of Australia, Vol 1, Nedlands, 1987, p 20

• Sundew Family
• Insect-eating plant
• Droseraceae