Botanical art
Prior names
Drosera indica
Common names
Flycatcher
Finlayson Sundew
Etymology
Drosera from the Greek 'droseros' meaning dewy, alluding to the glistening hairs of the glandular leaf laminae. The name finlaysoniana was initially attached to a Herbarium specimen from Vietnam, without a description, by Wallich in 1828. In 1837, Arnott denote the type specimen as 'Turow Bay, Cochinchina. Finlayson" and therefore, finlaysoniana honours Mr George Finlayson (1790-1823) a Scottish surgeon and naturalist sent to Siam and Cochin-china by the Bengal Government in 1821 and collector of the type specimen. Finlayson was one of the finest naturalists and was noted for his pioneering studies of the plants, animals and people of southern Thailand and the Malay peninsula.
Distribution and status
Found in the northern part of South Australia, growing in seasonally damp or inundated areas or along watercourses. Also found in all mainland states. Native. Common in South Australia. Rare in Victoria. Common in the other States.
Herbarium regions: North Western, Lake Eyre
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Annual herb with fibrous roots; simple stems, to 50 cm long, often lax, green to red, pubescent to glandular-hairy. Leaves on stem, scattered, narrowly linear, acute, to 100 mm long and 6 mm wide gradually narrowed to a glabrous petiole. Inflorescences terminal, glandular, 3-25-flowered, sepals lanceolate to narrowly oblong, entire to serrulate, glandular, petals cuneate-obovate, pink, orange to white. Flowering between April and August. Fruits are brown ovoid capsule to 3.5 mm long, erect to spreading. Seeds are black ovoid seed to 0.5 mm long and 0.3 mm wide, with a mesh-like surface
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between July and September. 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. Seed viability is usually high.
| Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGA | 51,000 (1.51 g) | 30 | 11-Aug-2010 | TST945 Lake Eyre | 1-Jan-2012 | 95% | -18°C |
| BGA | 217,000 (4.35 g) | 60+ | 18-Aug-2011 | DJD2209 Lake Eyre | 1-Nov-2012 | 100% | -18°C |
| BGA | 27,000 (0.53 g) | 200+ | 11-Feb-2013 | KHB835 Southern Lofty | 24-Mar-2015 | 90% | +5°C, -18°C |
| BGA | 24,400 (1.27 g) | 1-Sep-2016 | DJD3398 Lake Eyre | 1-Nov-2017 | 90% | -18°C |
Number of plants: This is the number of plants from which the seeds were collected.
Collection location: The Herbarium of South Australia's region name.
% Viability: Percentage of filled healthy seeds determined by a cut test or x-ray.