Drosera brevifolia

[reptiluvr]

So far I have only found one small population of these guys in ANF. There's just so many D. capillaris around that I can't tell the difference unless they're flowering. These were taken March 22. I had only had a macro lens a short while so these photos aren't very stellar.

Scape w/ some flower detail


Rosette from above


Detail of the glandular scape


Is there any way to ID them other than the flower scape?

[Brian Barnes]

Hello,

Yes. They tend to be of course, much smaller in size than Drosera capillaris and rarely get much larger than a quarter (coin)...
The leaves are more triangulate or "spathulate" on the ends. Also when in full sun, the leaves tend to take on more of a darker bronze appearance and the tentacle coloration is a little more of a dark ruby-red than that of the "cappys"

However, the glandular scape is your most definite bet! You'll be able to discern them from one another easier once you see a few hundred or so.

Happy Growing,

Brian.

[jfowler]

That last shot of yours is excellent! It ought to be in any book describing D. brevifolia.

[reptiluvr]

I am actually upset the flower came out very soft and a bit overhighlighted on that particular shot. If you know anyone that's making a field guide just have them put my name on the pic and give me a copy of the book ;-)

[reptiluvr]

Brian: I must have found a giant population ;-P cause the few I found flowering to positively ID were about as big around as the circle made by my thumb and pointer finger. There were plenty more tiny Drosera around. D. capillaris and D. brevifolia were all scattered together in a patch next to a pond.

[rsivertsen]

The other remarkable thing about this species is that it might be producing small tubers, or something similar as they come back from the "roots" after a killing dry spell. Andreas Fleischman has confirmed this.

When I was in the Air Force, stationed in Biloxi Miss. I saw several roadside embankments where they grew by the thousands, mostly only the size of a dime, and very spathlate, even cuneiform, with almost no petioles, and a dark blood red to bronze color which matched the iron rich sandy roadside embankments in which they grew.

Several months later, at the end of the summer season, not a single living specimen was observed, and the embankment was as dry as dust, and powdery as can be. Yet, after a prolonged early rain storm, just before winter, they were all over the place again. Amazing plants indeed! I was under the impression that they were just annuals, and came back up from seed every season. - Rich