Botanical art
Prior names
Sondera auriculata
Drosera peltata var. auriculata
Drosera peltata ssp. auriculata
Common names
Tall Sundew
Errienellam
Etymology
Drosera from the Greek 'droseros' meaning dewy, alluding to the glistening hairs of the glandular leaf laminae. Auriculata from the Greek 'auricula' meaning ear-shaped, referring to the shape of the cauline leaves.
Distribution and status
Found in southern South Australia from the Flinders Ranges to the lower South-east growing in moist areas. Also found in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania (and New Zealand). Native. Common in South Australia. Common in the other States.
Herbarium regions: Northern Lofty, Southern Lofty, South Eastern, Green Adelaide
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Small herb with flowering stems to 20 cm high. Lowest leaves in a flat rosette, circular to reniform, to 6 mm diameter. Stem leaves alternate or in clusters, lamina with 2 acute lobes, to 6 mm diameter, peltate on slender petiole to 9 mm long, stipules absent. Inflorescence to 10 cm long with 2-8 white or pink flowers. Bud sepals hairless. This species is distinguished from the closely related D. peltata and D. hookeri by its longer, cylindrical seeds, glabrous sepals, and generally longer style and petals, where as D. peltata have densely hairy sepals, reddish basal rosettes, cauline leaves that are less than 6 mm wide, and fusiform, shallowly reticulate seeds and D. hookeri have wider-leaves with green basal rosettes and deeply pitted cylindric to ovoid seeds. Flowering between August and November. Fruits are brown globose capsule to 6 mm diameter; erect, enclosed in persistent smooth sepals. Seeds are black, narrowly linear-cylindrical to 1 mm long, with a mesh-like surface.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between October and December. Collect mature capsules, those that are fat, hard, turning brown and contain black seeds inside. Place the capsules in a tray and leave to dry for one to two weeks. Then rub the capsules gently by hand to dislodge the seeds. Use a sieve to separate the unwanted material. Store the seeds with a desiccant such as dried silica beads or dry rice, in an air tight container in a cool and dry place.