tuberous-drosera.net --- Drosera squamosa

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Drosera squamosa

D. squamosa (or D. erythrorhiza ssp. squamosa) 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 7 to 8 active leaves per rosette. The plants mostly reach 6 to 10 cm in diameter. D. squamosa seems to flower without pre-season bush fires. However, this species rarely reproduces by formation of lateral adventitious stolons.
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. squamosa tubers




The sand growing form of D. squamosa showing nicely the red-maroon band of colour around the margin. The close-ups show sections of the leaf including the shorter glands on the midrib.


Another taxon I obtained as D. squamosa showing a somewhat inverse colouration: a green band around the margin and a red midrib.


A plant I originally obtained as D. erythrorhiza ssp. collina Serpentine. However, it seems to be a D. squamosa.


Another form from the Whicher Range with limited red colouration.

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