Date: Sat, 04 Jan 1997 10:36:42 GMT From: Peter Cole <carnivor@flytrap.demon.co.uk> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg56$foo@default> Subject: Re: ?D.peltata?
In message <199701032340.AA007704833@jr.hpl.hp.com> cp@hplb.hpl.hp.com writes:
dave evans <T442119@RUTADMIN.RUTGERS.EDU> writes:
...
> Anyway, the first one flowered today and I tried out Jan's
> new Drosera key. This is when my HEADACHE started. (it's still
> going strong, BTW.) I was able to count six green yet hairy
> sepals and six petals but in the time from moving the plant out
> from under the light and counting the petals, the flower closed.
> I put it back under the lights, it re-openned. I took it back
> out and it closed up again, just after I got a glimpse inside!
> Anyway, there are only two flowers and Jan's key calls for
> around ten. What I did come up with is D.salina... The petals
> are white, and I've been told that D.peltata is always pink.
I've heard of white-flowering D.peltata (though mine are all
pink,) - these might be misidentified, but it's quite a variable
species, I guess because it ranges so far. Perhaps you've got a
Japanese or NZ plant, which I'd expect to show the most divergence
from the norm. I doubt it's D.salina - this one's a flat rosette
producing a much shorter climbing stem - no more than 3 or 4 inches
compared to twice that or more for D.peltata (I've got one that's 13
inches tall ATM!, but that's unusual.) Lowrie also shows D.salina as
being 5-petalled and 5-staminate, so it would be as abberant for this
species as D.peltata. I've not kept this one long enough to flower,
so I can't comment on variation in floral structures.
I also find more variety in D.peltata flowering than the books or
Jan's key indicates - anything from 0 to 10 or so flowers per plant,
though the flowers may not all appear at once, and it doesn't appear
to be consistent by original location or even individual tuber, but
rather (probably,) a response to cultivation conditions.
The sepals sound more like peltata too - D.salina has glabrous sepals
according to Lowrie, while peltata's are dotted with terete-stalked
glands.
> Any idea what I have?
I guess it's D.peltata ssp.maybe-not-peltata :-) Keep an eye out for
more flowers and see if the 6-* is the regular pattern or just an
abberation (not unknown in all many Drosera spp.)
Happy growing,
Peter
snail:Peter Cole,17 Wimmerfield Cr. :: mailto:carnivor@flytrap.demon.co.uk
Killay, SWANSEA SA27BU,WALES,UK :: http://www.flytrap.demon.co.uk/
vox:+44 1792 205214 :: Carnivorous plants & seeds for sale
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Tue Jan 02 2001 - 17:30:58 PST