Carnivorous Plants

OBLONG-LEAVED SUNDEW

Drosera intermedia

Sundew Family [Droseraceae]

month8jun month8june month8jul month8july month8aug

status
statusZnative
flower
flower8white
morph
morph8actino
petals
petalsZ5
stem
stem8round

23rd Oct 2006, Hampshire. Photo: (CC by 2.0) Mike Cotterill
With leaves the same oval spoon-shape as those of Great Sundew, but the whole plant is much smaller.


23rd Oct 2006, Hampshire. Photo: (CC by 2.0) Mike Cotterill
Growing in a wet bog as is it's usual wont.


23rd Oct 2006, Hampshire. Photo: (CC by 2.0) Mike Cotterill
Each individual plant has 8 or more red spoon-shaped leaves which radiate outwards from the centre.


8th July 2015, Arne, Dorset. Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone
These specimens are flowering. The flowers are atop a greenish stalk arising up from the centre. None unfortunately are yet open.


23rd Oct 2006, Hampshire. Photo: (CC by 2.0) Mike Cotterill
Whereas only a few have sent a flower stalk up in these specimens yet. The leaves are oval, and together with the stalk are 5cm (or shorter) long. Around the periphery of the leaf are numerous red hairs each with a sticky white blob on the end.


8th July 2015, Arne, Dorset. Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone
The flower stalk arises from the centre of the plant, is about 5cm (up to 10cm) long and has a simple cyme of flowers, spherical at first within their sepal cups. The number of sepals, petals and stamens varies between 5 and 8 for all Sundews; whereas the number of styles varies from 2 to 6. The petals are 4-6mm long and are often deeply divided at the tip or fused near their bases.


8th July 2015, Arne, Dorset. Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone
Oval leaves on long stalks, both strikingly red.


8th July 2015, Arne, Dorset. Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone


8th July 2015, Arne, Dorset. Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone
The sepals can best be discerned on the un-opened flower-bud just north of centre. Leaf periphery (and within for a certain amount) is covered in long red hairs with a clear sticky fluid. They are not raindrops. These sticky blobs help trap insects when they land on the (very touch-sensitive) upper surface. The leaf responds instantly closing around the insect, trapping it in the middle of the leaf, where it is slowly dissolved and the nutrients absorbed. See the Thigmonasty pane on the Great Sundew page for modus operandi.


17th July 2014, unknown bog. Photo: © Ann Collier
Two flowering spikes on this specimen.


17th July 2014, unknown bog. Photo: © Ann Collier
Most of the flowers not yet opened. The curled over traps have trapped some black insects which they will dissolve and absorb the released nutrients.


17th July 2014, unknown bog. Photo: © Ann Collier
Two nearly-opened flowers with white petals.


17th July 2014, unknown bog. Photo: © Ann Collier


17th July 2014, unknown bog. Photo: © Ann Collier
Another specimen but this one has no flowers visible, just paddle-shaped leaves with many sticky extensions with which to trap insects.


17th July 2014, unknown bog. Photo: © Ann Collier
Fully opened leaves are awaiting an insect to land.


17th July 2014, unknown bog. Photo: © Ann Collier
The white blobs on the ends of the hairs are very sticky.


17th July 2014, unknown bog. Photo: © Ann Collier
Stretching out for insects.


17th July 2014, unknown bog. Photo: © Ann Collier
Two of these leaves have caught some insects and are busy dissolving them. The one at the top presumably is a now dead leaf(?), the insects having been dissolved and the nutrients absorbed.


No relation to : Purple Sundew (Disphyma crassifolium) a serpentine rock speciality in the Dewplant Family [Aizoaceae].

Easily mistaken for : Great Sundew (Drosera anglica) which also has similar oblong-shaped leaves but that plant is about twice as large overall.

Hybridizes with :

  • The more common Round-Leaved Sundew (Drosera rotindifolia) to produce Belezeana Sundew (Drosera × belezeana), which looks more like Round-Leaved Sundew but with curved inflorescences which are sterile.

It grows in wet places such as upland peaty places and moors out in the sun. Often with Sphagnum mosses. This species occurs in fewer places, missing out on most of England and East Scotland, but where it does occur, scattered around suitable habitats in Britain and Ireland, it is locally common.

Sundews are carnivorous plants which trap insects in their leaves, dissolve them and absorb the resulting nutrient soup for use by the plant itself. The leaves exhibit Thigmonasty, moving in response to touch.


USE BY BUTTERFLIES
LAYS EGGS ON CATERPILLAR CHRYSALIS BUTTERFLY
Arran Brown
Large Heath



  Drosera intermedia  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Droseraceae  

Distribution
 family8Sundew family8Droseraceae
 BSBI maps
genus8Drosera
Drosera
(Sundews)

OBLONG-LEAVED SUNDEW

Drosera intermedia

Sundew Family [Droseraceae]