Drosera anglica


Early in the morning, leaves full of dew drops before the sun burns most of the dew drops away

Tiny insectivorous plant, leaves growing from a central rosette. Each leaf with slender hairs, the hairs have glands on their tips which secrete a sticky drop. Leaves oblong, typicall 10 to 15 mm long and 3 to 4 mm wide (excluding petiole). Small white flowers appear in July. Flowers measured at 9 mm in diameter, scapes to 12 cm tall.

Lives in nitrogen-poor bogs in heavy forest. The plants eat small insects to provide them with the nitrogen which is lacking where it lives. When an insect becomes entangled in the hairs, the leaves bend inwards so that the insect comes into contact with fine, inner hairs. Enzymes are produced by the hairs which dissolve the insect which is then absorbed by the leaf. Only the insect's exoskeleton remains which blows away when the leaf hairs uncurl to become erect again, ready for the next meal.

We have observed these Sundews prefer growing close to the waterline. Grow among the sphagnum moss and grasses. We have seen them growing in the same bogs as its cousin D. rotundifolia which seems to prefer living on small hummocks 15 cm to 30 cm above the waterline.

The leaves of D. anglica are conspicuously more linear than those of D. rotundifolia.

Leaves to 4 cm long (including petiole).

The above photos were taken on July 16th and 22nd, Duck Mountain Provincial Park, 300 km north east of our home in Regina, SK.

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