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Drosera macrantha

D. macrantha (D. macrantha ssp. macrantha) is one of the species in the macrantha complex consisting of D. eremaea, D. hirsuta, D. indumenta, D. macrantha and D. planchonii. It is a climbing species reaching up to 1.5 m in length. It can use other plants as support by gluing one or more leaves tightly to them. This species is vary variable in terms of size, colouration, leaf size and other properties. The flowers can be white or pink.
Typical features for D. macrantha is the glandular nature of the upper parts of the plant (in contrast e.g. to the glabrous D. pallida). The leaves are usually arranged in groups of 3 with one larger leaf produced first and two smaller ones following later.
Some variants produce many additional tubers (like the Rock Outcrop Form) but other may only do so very rarely if at all. A form from the Wongan Hills region will develop rosettes even for relatively large plants with a stolon produced from the center of the rosette. This form can grow into dense colonies after some. The form found in Rock Outcrops usually produces additional tubers quite readily. It remains smaller than many other D. macrantha forms.

When compared with D. planchonii the D. macrantha usually produces more flowers per plant but the flowers need to be pollinated by pollen from a different clone whereas D. planchonii is self-fertile.


A short summary of typical features within the macrantha complex:
D. eremaea: scattered minute glands on the stem, tuber white and smooth, seeds have a spear-like apex
D. hirsuta: glabrous stem, upper part densely hirsute (=covered with non-glandular hairs), tuber white and smooth, seeds have a wide, one-sided wing
D. indumenta: stem covered with hairs along its full length, tuber white and warty, seeds have a narrow one-sided wing
D. macrantha: lower stem section glabrous, upper section glandular, tuber white and warty, seeds have a wide, spear-like apex
D. planchonii: lower stem section glabrous, upper section sparsely glandular, tuber white and warty, seeds with a narrow, longitudinal, one-sided ledge a wide, paddle-like apex




tubers

tubers

tubers

Tubers of D. macrantha
Whereas the Rock Outcrop Form readily produces additional daugther tubers, the Northern Heathland Form only very rarely does so. Within 8 seasons I found a total of 1 additional tuber and even that one may be the result of a damaged stolon. The shrinkled black material on next to the Northern Heathland form tuber are the remains from the previous season's tuber.

 

 

leaf

leaf

Close-ups of Rock Outcrop form leaves

 

 

non-adult plant

erect growing plant

upper leaf

the upper part of the stem is covered with red hairs

flower buds

flower

Rosetted (non-adult), erect-growing (adult) plant and flower of Wongan Hills form. If you check carefully the centre of the rosetted plant, you will see the stolon emerging which will form an additional tuber at is end. The erect-growing plant emerges without forming a basal rosette first. The upper part of the stem and the leaves are covered with red hairs.
The flowers are clear white.

 

 


 

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