''Drosera ordensis'' is a
species of
sundew, native to Australia and part of the "''petiolaris'' complex" of sundews making up the
subgenus
In biology, a subgenus (plural: subgenera) is a taxonomic rank directly below genus.
In the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between t ...
''
Lasiocephala''. Compared to many ''petiolaris'' sundews, it has wide
petioles, which are densely covered in silvery hairs. It usually forms
rosettes 8 cm across, although plants up to 20 cm in diameter have been reported.
[Lowrie, Allen (1998); '' Carnivorous Plants of Australia, Volume III''; University of Western Australia Press.]
Description
A
perennial rosette-forming
herb
In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...
, ''D. ordensis'' forms clumps of stemless or nearly stemless rosettes. Each plant has numerous leaves, which as typical for the subgenus consist of a long, hairy petiole supporting a nearly round
lamina. The lamina is densely studded with stalked
mucilaginous glands, which serve to attract and trap
arthropod prey, which is subsequently digested and absorbed by the plant as a source of nutrients. During the dry season, the plant produces smaller, somewhat dormant leaves which are protected by their dense covering of silvery hairs.
''Drosera ordensis'' flowers from December through April. Flowers form on a crowded
raceme
A raceme ( or ) or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the s ...
, opening singly. The five-petaled flowers can be pink to nearly white and are about 1.5 cm in diameter.
Distribution and habitat
''Drosera ordensis'' inhabits sandy soils near sandstone outcrops in the northeast tip of Western Australia near
Kununurra and
Pago and in the neighbouring region of the
Northern Territory in
Keep River National Park. The plant is often associated with ''
Sorghum
''Sorghum'' () is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the grass family (Poaceae). Some of these species are grown as cereals for human consumption and some in pastures for animals. One species is grown for grain, while many othe ...
'' species.
See also
*
List of ''Drosera'' species
*
Taxonomy of ''Drosera''
References
External links
{{Taxonbar, from=Q290039
Carnivorous plants of Australia
Caryophyllales of Australia
Eudicots of Western Australia
Flora of the Northern Territory
Plants described in 1994
ordensis