Drosera Sp. - Sundew

Family: Droseraceae (Sundew) ^[E-flora]

"Habit: Annual, perennial herb, often +- brown or +- red. Leaf: petiole long; adaxial blade hairs gland-tipped. Inflorescence: raceme-like cyme. Flower: sepals, petals, stamens generally 5; petals white, pink, or purple; styles, placentas, valves generally 3. Species In Genus: 170+ species: range of family. Etymology: (Greek: dewy) Note: Insects and other organisms trapped by sticky fluid secreted by leaf glands are secured by leaf folding around them and digested by bacteria as well as additional leaf secretions (enzymes, ribonucleases), providing nutrition; many cultivated and/or non-native taxa, not all documented by specimens, persisting in NCo (Mendocino Co., including Drosera tracyi Macfarl.), northern SNH (Plumas Co.) after reported, ill-advised plantings." ^[Jepson]

Local Species;

• Drosera anglica - Great sundew ^[E-flora]
• Drosera rotundifolia - Round-leaved Sundew ^[E-flora]
• Drosera x obovata - Hybrid sundew ^[E-flora]

References

• [Jepson] Elizabeth L. Painter & William J. Stone 2012, Drosera, in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=9119, accessed on July 03, 2021.

Drosera anglica - Great sundew 

• "General: Insect-eating perennial herb; stems erect, 5-18 cm tall." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}
• "Leaves: Basal leaves erect or ascending, the blades oblong-oblanceolate to oblong spoon-shaped, 1-4 cm long, 3-7 mm wide, the stalks 2-6 cm long, hairy, the long, reddish blade-hairs on upper surface stalked with gland-tipped, sticky, insect-trapping fluid; stem leaves lacking." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}
• "Flowers: Inflorescence of raceme-like terminal cymes of 1-7 flowers, opening in full sun in a coiled cluster on one side of the stem; petals white, 6-10 mm long; calyces 4-6 mm long, fused to at least 1/3 their length." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}
• "Fruits: Capsules, many seeded; seeds 1-1.5 mm long, egg-shaped, black." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}

"Habitat / Range Swamps, bogs, fens, wet meadows and lakeshores in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; frequent in S BC, rare northward; circumpolar, N to AK, YT and NT, E to NF and S to MI, WI, ID, NV and N CA; Eurasia, Hawaii." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}

Status: Native ^[E-flora]

Synonyms:

• Drosera longifolia L. ^[E-flora]

References

• [E-flora] http://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Drosera%20anglica&redblue=Both&lifeform=7, Accessed July 3, 2021

Drosera rotundifolia - Round-leaved Sundew 

Subtaxa Present in B.C.;

• Drosera rotundifolia var. rotundifolia ^[E-flora]

"Drosera rotundifolia is an evergreen Perennial growing to 0.1 m (0ft 4in) by 0.1 m (0ft 4in) at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone (UK) 6. It is in leaf all year, in flower from July to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). The plant is self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist or wet soil." ^[PFAF]

• "General: Insect-eating perennial herb; stems erect, 5-25 cm tall." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}
• "Leaves: Basal leaves erect or ascending, the blades rounded, 6-12 mm long and about as wide, the stalks 2-9 cm long, hairy, the long, reddish blade-hairs on upper surface stalked with gland-tipped, sticky, insect-trapping fluid; stem leaves lacking." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}
• "Flowers: Inflorescence of raceme-like terminal cymes of 1-8 flowers, opening in full sun in a coiled cluster on one side of the stem; petals white, 6-10 mm long; calyces 4-6 mm long, fused to at least 1/3 their length." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}
• "Fruits: Capsules, many seeded; seeds 1-1.5 mm long, spindle-shaped, light brown." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}

Ecological Indicator Information "A very shade-intolerant, submontane to subalpine, circumpolar forb (transcontinental in North America). Occurs on wet to very wet. nitrogen-poor soils (Mor humus forms) within boreal, cool temperate, and cool mesothermal climates. Sporadic in non-forested. semi-terrestrial communities on water-collecting sites amidst Sphagnum species in peat bogs. An oxylophytic species characteristic of nutrient­poor wetlands." (Information applies to coastal locations only) ^{[IPBC-E-flora]}

Status: Native ^[E-flora]

"Use with caution[21]. Internal use of this herb causes a harmless colouring of the urine[9]." ^[PFAF]

Edible Uses

• Juice : "The juice of the plant is used to curdle plant milks[177, 183]. You heat the milk and the leaves together in order to make the milk curdle[7]." ^[PFAF]

Other Uses

• Fungicide: "Substances in the plant are used to curb the growth of bacteria[13]." ^[PFAF]

Medicinal Uses

• Leaves
  • Juice: "Because of their protein digesting enzymes, the leaf juice has been used in the treatment of warts and corns[4, 222]." ^[PFAF]
• Flowering Plant
  • Harvesting: "The plant is harvested in the summer and can be dried for later use[7]." ^[PFAF] "The plant has become quite rare and so it should not be harvested from the wild[254]." ^[PFAF]
  • Respiratory Aid: "The plant is used with advantage in the treatment of whooping cough, exerting a peculiar action on the respiratory organs[4]. It is also used in the treatment of incipient phthisis, chronic bronchitis and asthma[4]." ^[PFAF]
    • "It is used mainly in the treatment of coughs[232] and is specific for whooping cough[7]." ^[PFAF]
    • "It relaxes the muscles of the respiratory tract, easing breathing and relieving wheezing and so is of great value in the treatment of various chest complaints[254]." ^[PFAF]
• External Use: "Externally, it has been used to treat corns, warts and bunions[257]." ^[PFAF]
• Properties: "The flowering plant is antibacterial, antibiotic, antispasmodic, antitussive, demulcent, expectorant and hypoglycaemic[4, 7, 9, 13, 21, 46, 165, 172, 222, 238]." ^[PFAF]
• Homeopathy: "The entire fresh plant, harvested when it is starting to flower, is used to make a homeopathic remedy[232]." ^[PFAF]
• Antibiotic: "An extract of the plant contains plumbagin, which is antibiotic against a wide range of pathogens[222, 238]." ^[PFAF]
• Aphrodisiac: "The sundew has a long history of herbal use, having been popular for its fortifying and aphrodisiac effects[238]." ^[PFAF]

References

• [E-flora] Drosera rotundifolia, http://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Drosera%20rotundifolia&redblue=Both&lifeform=7, Accessed April 5, 2020; July 3, 2021

Drosera x obovata - Hybrid sundew 

Status: Native ^[E-flora]

References

• [E-flora] Drosera x obovata, http://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Drosera%20x%20obovata&redblue=Both&lifeform=7, Accessed April 5, 2020; July 4, 2021