tuberous-drosera.net --- Drosera collina

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Drosera collina

D. collina (or D. erythrorhiza ssp. collina) is one of four species in the erythrorhiza complex consisting of D. collina, D. erythrorhiza, D. magna and D. squamosa. It is a rosetted species usually forming 10 to 12 active leaves per rosette. The plants mostly reach 10 to 12 cm in diameter. D. collina seems to flower without pre-season bush fires. However, this species rarely reproduces by formation of lateral adventitious stolons. Having stated that, there is - of course - an exception to this as the plants of the sand plains do produce additional daughter tubers as described by Allen Lowrie.
The tubers are orange.

I am still not sure whether I can tell apart all the different plants within the D. erythrorhiza complex. Two species form few leaves: D. erythrorhiza usually 3-5 per rosette, D. magna 4-6, and both can be distinguished by their size, as D. erythriza usually reaches no more than 6 to 8 cm in diameter, whereas D. magna forms rosettes of about 10 to 12 cm.
The other two species produce larger numbers of active leaves: D. squamosa 7 to 8 per rosette, D. collina even 10 to 12. D. squamosa leaves usually have a typical red margin, but this feature may be missing in some plants of a given colony. Those can be very difficult to distinguish from D. collina.


D. collina tubers



Plants of D. collina from The Lakes region in different stages of development.


Close-up of a leaf section. The insect-catching glands are positioned around the margins of the lamina and shorter glands within.


D. collina plant after being attacked by some snail or other pest.


D. collina seedling which germinated 3 years after sowing. In the meantime a layer of moss formed on the substrate, but dies back each summer during the dry and hot period.

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