Date: Wed, 21 Jul 1999 12:41:04 -0700 From: Phil Sheridan <meadowview@pitcherplant.org> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg2655$foo@default> Subject: Drosera brevifolia
"The not so rare state rare dwarf sundew"
Hi Folks:
More comments regarding Drosera brevifolia. For years our state heritage
program ranked this species as state rare despite our reports of its
abundance in Virginia. Drosera brevifolia occurs locally in Virginia on
exposed mineral soil which is just damp part of the year. The plants
bloom in May when the soil is just damp and by mid-summer, when the soil
is dry, they are either withered rosettes or have died back to roots.
This explains why many investigators fail to locate this species in
summer botanical excursions. When cooler, moister conditions return in
the fall the plants re-emerge and form beautiful red rosettes measuring
to 3/4 inch diameter.
We like to think of Drosera brevifolia as the equivalent of an
Australian tuberous species due to its adaptation to drier soils and
life cycle characteristics. In our experience D. brevifolia occupies a
microhabhitat which is hard for other native American Drosera species to
occupy. Drosera brevifolia can grow in much drier sites than Drosera
capillaris but the species may overlap ecotones in a site.
Cheers,
Phil
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