Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2000 09:48:58 -0700 From: Ivan Snyder <bioexp@juno.com> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg2484$foo@default> Subject: Drosera felix FYI
Hi CPers,
Here is a little information for you about a sundew which few people have
grown. I raised this plant from seed and can tell you how it has done in
cultivation under my care. I got the seed from our famous intrepid CPer
Fernando Rivadavia-Lopez. This seed was collected from the Gran Sabana,
Venezuela. There is a good photo of this plant on the rear cover of CPN
Sept. '93. Or, check out Sundew Matt's web page <
http://www.geocites.com/sundewmatt/growlist.html >. My one plant attained
a rosette size of 15 mm in diameter, flower 9 mm in dia, and the flower
stem 12 mm tall. A tiny plant with a proportionately large flower. As the
flower begins to form, first is seen the flower bud, and then the stlk
arises. In the photos you can not make out the flower parts, so here is
how it looks to me. The 3 styles are 2-branched from the base and look
the same as those in the more familiar Drosera capillaris. Judging by the
cell size and taxanomic relation to other S. American sundews, I believe
this species is probably a typical 20 chromosome diploid.
I sowed the seed on regular peat and sand mix as with any tropical
Drosera. When the seedlings were large enough I transplanted this one to
a pot with chopped Sphagnum and perlite next to a seedling Heliamphora
covered with a cup. Sudew Matt recommends the product, no damp off, which
is milled Sphagnum. The pot is under my flourescent lighting system close
to the lights with 16 hours of light a day, the same as for the rest of
my collection. Since I live on the beach in S. California, I do not
experiance extreme temps. Matt feels the plant would be adversely
affected by heat as with many other S. American sundews. My plant grew
extremely slow. I fed it a fruitfly portions every now and then. I had to
pick off the food as soon as it was through, or else it grew mold and
killed the leaf. It took about a year maybe more to flower, I lost track.
My plant has finished its second flower and now I see a third coming up.
The first flower made seed on its own.
In conclusion, D. felix is an interesting species to study, but the plant
is too small and too slow growing for the impatient amatuer. Leave this
species to the more experianced and dedicated sundew grower. If you want
something small, get yourself some of the more easily grown Australian
pygmy Drosera. Anyway, I only have one plant and expect few seed. Unless
you are an extremely attractive woman, please do not ask me to provide
you.
Ivan Snyder
Hermosa Beach
California
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