Some species don't like too much artificial light - my U.longifolia
for example is rather too bright, and the 'leaves' are browning
quite quickly. But D.capensis is fine under any amount - one of
mine has a leaf 2" from a 23W low energy fluorescent, and it's fine.
If it touches the bulb it will crisp, but these fluorescents are a
lot cooler than incandescent bulbs. I suppose some of these metal
halide/sodium/whatever lamps might run hotter, but fluorescents are
fine.
I'd guess it's the roots rotting or being eaten - rot is easy enough
to identify if the bottom of the pot smells bad.
and Andy Falshaw writes:
...
> >Following on the thread about d. capensis, Clarke wrote that it
> >doesn't have a dormancy. Does D. binata? I have two plants that
...
I've grown them indoors, and they don't die back much (just stop
growing,) and I've grown them outdoors since last summer, with a
minimum of protection, where they disappear completely and come
back from the roots - it's a bit cold here to do this, as they are
only just forming some leaf curls now, but both 'T-form' and dichotoma
survived this treatment (T-form is recovering faster and with more
curls.)
I guess with mine it's the temperature that does it (well, they
were frozen solid for days at a time,) but in less harsh conditions
perhaps it is a more complex mix of factors. If the roots look OK
and the pot bottoms don't smell, then I'd guess they'll recover.
Hope this helps,
Peter
snail:Peter Cole,17 Wimmerfield Cr. :mailto:carnivor@bunyip.demon.co.uk
Killay, SWANSEA SA2 7BU, WALES :http://www.angel.co.uk/flytrap/index.htm
vox:+44 1792 205214 :ftp://www.angel.co.uk/pub/flytrap