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Drosera lowriei

Drosera lowriei can reach up to 4 cm in diameter (typical form) or 5-7 cm (giant form) respectively. Flowers are produced on scapes up to 1.5 cm (typical) or 3 cm (giant form) long, with up to 8 scapes produced from the center of the rosette in the typical form and up to 50 scapes in the giant form.
The tubers are yellowish to light pink and covered by dark papery sheaths from previous year's tubers.

D. lowriei is quite hesitant to produce additional tubers. However, I received one tuber of the giant form which produces at least one extra tuber per season. After several growing seasons tubers of other plants increased in size reaching currently about 2 cm in diameter whereas this more readily dividing plant stays at the size of about 1 cm. Nevertheless, the plants look all the same in terms of size and flowers. The large form can be distinguished from Drosera zonaria by the leave shape and the abundance of flowers. Drosera zonaria rarely flowers, and if it does, it produces a single flower stalk with up to 8 flowers.

The typical form can be pollinated as long as pollen from a second clone is available. However, it seems to be nearly impossible to pollinate the giant form flowers.
"The giant D. lowriei appears to be sterile and a genetic screw up. It was originally discovered growing with an all green form and a green form with red margins and scapes as well as reddish forms that were closer to but not quite the type for D. lowriei. It appears the giant D. lowriei maybe a disfunctional hybrid between these different colour groups at this location." (Allen Lowrie, personal communication)



type form

The tubers on the second picture have the roots still attached.

tubers

tubers




Drosera lowriei type

Drosera lowriei type

Drosera lowriei type

Drosera lowriei type

Drosera lowriei type

Drosera lowriei type

Drosera lowriei type

Drosera lowriei type

Drosera lowriei type, flowering plant

Drosera lowriei type, flowering plant

Drosera lowriei type, flowering plant

Drosera lowriei type, plant with swelling seed pods


yellow plant form

One of the more recent additions to my collection. So far, the plants certainly lack the reddish colour in the tentacles, but the overall appearance is more greenish than yellow. Anyway, it is a beautiful variation.

tubers

yellow plant form

yellow plant form

yellow plant form

yellow plant form

yellow plant form

Plants of the "yellow" form during different parts of the growing season. In contrast to the typical D. lowriei shown above, this form needs a second clone for successful pollination of the flowers. The lowermost picture shows a plant with several swelling seed pots.

 

 


giant form

If you check carefully the first picture, you will see that one plant produced quite a few small extra tubers. So far, I only observed that for plants which are all offspring of a single tuber I some years ago. Usually, the plants do not produce any extra tubers.

tubers

tuber

tuber

tuber


tubers

tuber

tuber

tuber


 

Please respect that all texts and photos were created by me and may not be used without my permission.