Drosera identification, Mt Barker SA

[Shroom-Aura]

Went to Mt Barker today in hopes to find a new patch but didnt find any coppertops there, or much other mushrooms. but i did find this, any help on identification would be appreciated.

here is another one found at Mt George. what are these pods?

and here is a couple shots of the view of the Lofty Ranges at the top of Mt Barker (ignore the filename).

i figured these wouldnt be out of place either in the australian natives forum

[ 13. August 2005, 08:08: Message edited by: Trich-Aura ]

[Ed Dunkel]

Hmmm, my initial thoughts would be Drosera whittakeri (it looks like it will get big flowers from the bud size) but the top picture has loads of petals!!

or Drosera spathulata, but it has much smaller flowers

[ 13. August 2005, 11:07: Message edited by: Ed Dunkel ]

[Shroom-Aura]

thanks for your reply ed, i was thinking whittakeri for the second one. what is the best way to propagate these things, I read somewhere they produce gemmae that will grow into clones. dont suppose anyone knows what time of year they would produce them?

[Ed Dunkel]

Gemmae are produced by pigme droseras, there is one type that is found in south eastern australia drosera pigmea. The others are only found in WA (along with D pigmea).

Autumn- Winter I believe is the time when they form them (loads per plant), easy to propagate from them too!!

Usually one can propagate from a leaf cutting, D. whittakeri might work like this.

Remove a leaf pad with as much leaf stem as you can, without damaging the plant itself. Place them on moist some sand/peat moss or fine spagnum moss and cover with a small amount of soil near the base of the leaf, place some glass on the pot, to stop the rain washing them around. Monitor them frequently to make sure they don't dry out.

You should get little plants in a month or three.

Some droseras can be propagated from root cuttings if they have strong/thick rhisome type roots. From which they naturally propagate into colonies. These can be cut up into sections and treated like the leaf cuttings.

Quite a few droseras in australia go dormant into a small carrot type structures (i.e D peltata), if they have had some great years they will bud some more off of the side of these "carrots" and they can thus be propagated like that. Best time to harvest would be around the time they go dormant, summer time. But usually they will have loads of little black seeds around the same time that are relatively easy to germinate.

Good luck

[ 16. August 2005, 07:49: Message edited by: Ed Dunkel ]

[teonanacatl]

yeah they are quite interesting plants, im waiting for my seed to fuel another addiction i wonder if the drosera produces the gammae during sporophyte or gametophyte generation?

[occidentalis]

I hadn't actually heard about Drosera producing gemmae til I read this, but one would assume they are produced on the sporophyte if they are part of the leaf.

[Shroom-Aura]

thanks ed good info! I will try cloning using a leaf cutting as you suggested

[ 17. August 2005, 03:24: Message edited by: Trich-Aura ]

[Ed Dunkel]

OK, I have had a look in "The Savage Garden - Peter D'Amato"

The gemmae are normally produced in the autumn, in order for the winter rains to wash them around.

They look like little green flecks/beads found in the centre of the crown. Use a toothpick to collect them out of the crown carefully and you can plnat them where required. Just make sure they don't wash away!!

If one is partial to such things, you could line them all up and get them to spell out "drosera" for a suprise spring flush

Sowing is usually sown late winter to early spring except for the tuberous droseras as they are winter growers - sow in early autumn. Stratification helps most species, even the winter growers. (damp/chilly conditions for several weeks). Just sprinkle the seeds on damp soil, don't cover them.

With leaf cuttings, get them early in the growing season (as the winter growers have such a short growing season). Place them tentacles-up and cover only the base of the leaf. They need bright light, but not direct sunlight as it will dry them (even if the pot is covered).

Hmm, I should get back into drosera growing this year...