Date: Tue, 29 Feb 2000 18:26:37 +0000 From: Phil Wilson <cp@pwilson.demon.co.uk> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg593$foo@default> Subject: Re: South African Sundews & New Email Address
Joe et al,
>
>I have been researching 'Temperate' Sundews (I'm going by Pietropaolo's
>list) and found there are North America, South American, South African,
>Australian, and some New Zealand sundews all in this group. The confusing
>part is that some of these consider dormancy during the cold winter (ie:
>North American), while others go dormant in the summer (South African).
>This wasn't made to clear in many sources. I know I can grow the North
>American Temperates well, but the New Zealand varieties seem a little
>difficult after reading more about them.
>
Because a plant has a dormant period does not make it temperate! A
number of Drosera species from the areas you mention have a period of
dormancy, usually but not always, to escape the hot dry summer months.
Plants from these areas will either form tubers (Australia, New Zealand
plus one or two other locations), dense buds of stipules, leaf-like
appendages (Australia and New Zealand) or fleshy roots (South Africa and
possibly South America).
To make things more complicated some Drosera species are dormant over
the winter period rather than the summer. This is usually dependant on
both the species concerned and the local conditions.
If in doubt about when a species is normally dormant look at where it
grows. Plants growing in Brazil for instance are unlikely to have long
hard winters!
Most winter growing Drosera species are a bit more of a challenge to
grow but are worth persevering with. Some species are definitely easier
than others, mostly in respect of their requirements during dormancy. I
suggest starting with something like D. peltata which in my experience
is tolerant of a wide range of dormancy conditions ranging from bone dry
to wet!
Regards,
Phil Wilson
Email: cp@pwilson.demon.co.uk
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Tue Jan 02 2001 - 17:35:06 PST