Download Drosera capensis

Insectivorous plants
•Drosera
capensis, commonly known as
the Cape sundew, is a small rosetteforming carnivorous 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
•Drosera
capensis is one of the hardiest
carnivorous plants to grow. It tolerates a
variety of soils which low in nutrients.
•General growth media, 1 part sand or
silica grit: 1 peat or sphagnum moss in
10-15 cm pots are ideal
•Drosera
capensis grow in most sizes of
pots. I'd recommend 4 inches or taller,
since Drosera capensis can develop a
long, branching root system
•A tall pot will allow the roots to spread
out, so the plant can reach its maximum
height.
•Drosera
capensis generally produces
hundreds of seeds on its own. With most
varieties, they will readily self-pollinate.
•Once, when fed often, my 'Typical' and
'Albino' forms have produced huge flower
stalks, which created around 1000-2000
seeds per stalk
•
In early summer or late spring,
D. capensis produces multiple, small,
five-petaled pink flowers at the end of
scapes which can be up to 30 cm tall.
•
Flowers individually open in the morning
and close by mid afternoon, lasting just
one day each with the next one up the
scape opening the following day
•Drosera
capensis has several forms or
varieties, including the "typical", "wideleaved", "narrow-leaved" and "red" forms
and the cultivar Drosera 'Albino'
•The typical form is noted for wider
leaves and the gradual production of a
scrambling stem as it grows.
•Drosera
capensis uses its sticky tentacles
to attract and catch flies and other
insects.
•Contact triggers a curling reaction,
where the plant wraps up its prey and
eventually digests and absorbs the
victim's nutrients..
•Drosera
capensis need full sun to light
shade, with an acidic, moist soil mix. In
the greenhouse, we use a soil mix
consisting of 2 parts peat moss to 1 part
•Sand.
•In a terrarium, you will need to add at
least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of horticultural
charcoal before adding the soil mix. If
grown in containers,
•In
the greenhouse, plants bloom in the
fall with scapes that have numerous
small pinkish flowers up to 3/8 of an inch
(1 cm) long.
•The flowers are self-pollinating, and
when seedpods dry they produce
hundreds of viable seed.
•The
leaves radiate from the stem and
are made up of a petiole and lamina, the
petiole being almost the same length as
the lamina.
The lamina is flattened and bears knobshaped tentacles, which are stalked,
mucilaginous glands covering the leaf
surface.
•Flowers
are open very briefly for a few
hours with good sunlight. The flowers can
be pollinated by insects, but are usually
self-pollinated.
•When the seeds are ripe, their capsules
open to release the fine, light-weight
seeds which fall out and are dispersed
near the parent plants.