''Drosera peltata'', commonly called the shield sundewSalmon, Bruce. 2001. ''Carnivorous Plants of New Zealand''. Ecosphere Publications. or pale sundew,Erickson, Rica. 1968. ''Plants of Prey in Australia''. Lamb Paterson Pty. Ltd.: Osborne Park, Western Australia. is a climbing or scrambling

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

tuber Tubers are a type of enlarged structure used as storage organs for nutrients in some plants. They are used for the plant's perennation (survival of the winter or dry months), to provide energy and nutrients for regrowth during the next growing ...

ous species in the

carnivorous plant Carnivorous plants are plants that derive some or most of their nutrients from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans Protozoa (singular: protozoan or protozoon; alternative plural: protozoans) are a group of single-celled eukaryot ...

genus ''

Drosera ''Drosera'', which is commonly known as the sundews, is one of the largest genus, genera of carnivorous plants, with at least 194 species. 2 volumes. These members of the family Droseraceae lure, capture, and digest insects using stalked mucil ...

''. Among the tuberous sundews, ''D. peltata'' has the largest distribution, which includes eastern and western

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, and most of

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...

including the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. The

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

for "shield shaped", a reference to the shape of the

cauline A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, st ...

leaves. It is either a single extremely variable species, or a

complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...

of several closely related species of uncertain taxonomic boundaries. In Australia at least four forms have had or still have specific taxonomic recognition: ''Drosera peltata'' subsp. ''peltata'' (an

autonym Autonym may refer to: * Autonym, the name used by a person to refer to themselves or their language; see Exonym and endonym * Autonym (botany), an automatically created infrageneric or infraspecific name See also * Nominotypical subspecies, in zo ...

), ''D. peltata'' subsp. ''auriculata'', ''D. foliosa'' (also as ''D. peltata var. foliosa'') and ''D. gracilis'' (also as ''D. peltata var. gracilis'').Tasmanian Herbarium
Flora of Tasmania Online, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
'Australian National Herbarium

'' Tuberous sundews are species of the genus ''Drosera'' that have evolved to live in summer drought conditions and

aestivate Aestivation ( la, aestas (summer); also spelled estivation in American English) is a state of animal dormancy, similar to hibernation, although taking place in the summer rather than the winter. Aestivation is characterized by inactivity and a ...

as a dormant underground tuber. While many tuberous sundews are ground-hugging rosettes, ''D. peltata'' is an upright species with a simple or branching

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

.D'Amato, Peter. 1998. '' The Savage Garden: Cultivating Carnivorous Plants''. Ten Speed Press: Berkeley, California. pp. 152-157.

Description

''Drosera peltata'' is a

tuberous

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 ...

. Its underground tuber is generally found 4 – 6 cm under the soil surface, and its aerial parts range from 5 – 50 cm in height, with wide differentiation into several forms. The

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

''D. peltata'' subsp. ''auriculata'' is often the most robust, reaching up to 50 cm in height, whereas the form known informally as ''D. foliosa'' tends to be the shortest, often only 5–10 cm.The Student's Flora of Tasmania. W.M. Curtis. 1967. St. David's Park Publishing, Hobart, Tasmania. Vol. 3, p. 536 ''Drosera peltata'' generally has an evident rosette of leaves at the soil surface, which is most pronounced in ''D. foliosa'' and in contrast often reduced to scales in mature plants of ''D. peltata'' subsp. ''auriculata''. The aerial stem is simple or slightly branched in the nominal form of ''D. peltata'', as well as in ''D. peltata'' subsp. ''auriculata'', and the form informally known as ''D. gracilis''. Flowers are variable in color, but generally white or light pink. The colour of the plants is also highly variable, with ''D. foliosa'' generally bright grass green even when growing in direct sunlight, ''D. peltata'' subsp. ''auriculata'' often tinged with variable amounts of red (or even solid red), and ''D. gracilis'' always orange or dark red colour.

Habitat and distribution

''Drosera peltata'' is commonly found growing on frost free open flats with light scrub, in areas of regenerating forest, on grassy verges and roadside cuttings. The soil type these plants are found in is mainly soft fine clay or

peat Peat (), also known as turf (), is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, moors, or muskegs. The peatland ecosystem covers and is the most efficien ...

y, sand soils, which, while wet in winter, dry out over summer. This species has a large range and various forms occur naturally in southern, eastern and south-west

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

(in Northland) as well as south-east Asia and

Taxonomy

''Drosera peltata'' was first described by

Carl Peter Thunberg Carl Peter Thunberg, also known as Karl Peter von Thunberg, Carl Pehr Thunberg, or Carl Per Thunberg (11 November 1743 – 8 August 1828), was a Swedish naturalist and an "apostle" of Carl Linnaeus. After studying under Linnaeus at Uppsala Un ...

in 1797. Due to its large range and varied habit, ''D. peltata'' has accumulated a number of

synonyms A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

and

infraspecific taxa In botany, an infraspecific name is the scientific name for any taxon below the rank of species, i.e. an infraspecific taxon or infraspecies. (A "taxon", plural "taxa", is a group of organisms to be given a particular name.) The scientific names ...

, including

varieties Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

and

. Most subspecies have been reduced to

synonymy A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

, but the two

taxa In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; plural taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular nam ...

that are still considered valid are ''D. peltata'' subsp. ''peltata'', which is an

, and ''D. peltata'' subsp. ''auriculata'', which was originally named by

James Backhouse :''See alsfor two other James Backhouse botanists and nursery owners of York.'' James Backhouse (8 July 1794 – 20 January 1869) was a botanist and missionary for the Quaker church in Australia. His son, also James Backhouse (1825–1890), was ...

and formally described by

Jules Émile Planchon Jules Émile Planchon (21 March 1823 – 1 April 1888) was a French botanist born in Ganges, Hérault. Biography After receiving his Doctorate of Science at the University of Montpellier in 1844, he worked for a while at the Royal Botanic Garde ...

in 1848 as ''D. auriculata'' and later reduced to a subspecies of ''D. peltata'' by Barry John Conn in 1981.Schlauer, J. 2009
World Carnivorous Plant List - Nomenclatural Synopsis of Carnivorous Phanerogamous Plants
Accessed online: 29 August 2009. Subspecies ''auriculata'' is still considered a valid and separate species by some authorities. The major difference between the subspecies involve seed shape and

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...

pubescence Puberty is the process of physical changes through which a child's body matures into an adult body capable of sexual reproduction. It is initiated by hormonal signals from the brain to the gonads: the ovaries in a girl, the testes in a boy. I ...

. ''D. peltata'' subsp. ''peltata'' has

ovate Ovate may refer to: *Ovate (egg-shaped) leaves, tepals, or other botanical parts *Ovate, a type of prehistoric stone hand axe *Ovates, one of three ranks of membership in the Welsh Gorsedd *Vates In modern English, the nouns vates () and ovat ...

(egg-shaped) seeds and the sepals are hairy or pubescent, whereas ''D. peltata'' subsp. ''auriculata'' has linear seeds and

glabrous Glabrousness (from the Latin ''glaber'' meaning "bald", "hairless", "shaved", "smooth") is the technical term for a lack of hair, down, setae, trichomes or other such covering. A glabrous surface may be a natural characteristic of all or part of ...

sepals.Rice, Barry. 2009
The tuberous erect & scrambling ''Drosera''
The Carnivorous Plant FAQ. Accessed online: 2 September 2009. Although demoted to synonyms of ''D. peltata'' by MarchantMarchant NG, Aston HI, George AS (1982) Droseraceae. Flora of Australia 8, 9–66 in 1982, the formerly recognised species ''Drosera foliosa'' and ''Drosera gracilis'' are again treated as separate species by the Tasmanian Herbarium and the Australian Plant Name Index. ''Drosera foliosa'' differs from the nominal form of ''D. peltata'' in having a well-defined basal rosette of large, light green

lunate Lunate is a crescent or moon-shaped microlith. In the specialized terminology of lithic reduction, a lunate flake is a small, crescent-shaped flake removed from a stone tool during the process of pressure flaking. In the Natufian period, a lunat ...

leaves, and multi-branched shorter stems. By contrast the nominal form of ''D. peltata'' has a less prominent basal rosette, and a single stem. It is mostly restricted to

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...

herbfield Herbfields are plant communities dominated by herbaceous plants, especially forbs and grasses. They are found where climatic conditions do not allow large woody plants to grow, such as in subantarctic and alpine tundra environments. Herbfield is ...

s and open

woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with trees, or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the ''plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade (see ...

with grassy

understorey In forestry and ecology, understory (American English), or understorey (Commonwealth English), also known as underbrush or undergrowth, includes plant life growing beneath the forest canopy without penetrating it to any great extent, but abov ...

. ''Drosera gracilis'' is similar to the nominal form of ''D. peltata'' but smaller and with distinctly red stems and leaves. In

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

it is restricted to wet peaty areas, and unlike the winter and spring growers ''D. peltata'' and ''D. foliosa'', it grows in late spring and late into the summer.

Cultivation

''Drosera peltata'' is one of the easiest tuberous ''Drosera'' to cultivate, a characteristic that is attributed to its forgiving nature when it comes to water and temperature. The tuberous ''Drosera'' typically require wet, cool winters, which is their active growing season, and warmer, nearly bone-dry summers or the dormant tubers will rot. ''Drosera peltata'' can withstand wetter summers.

Gallery

Image:Drosera_peltata_basal_rosette.jpg, Typical form, basal rosette Image:Drosera hookeri George Town Tasmania.jpg, ''Drosera foliosa'' (''Drosera peltata'' var. ''foliosa'') growing in George Town, Tasmania, Australia Image:Drosera peltata var gracilis basal rosette.jpg, Basal rosette of ''Drosera gracilis'' (''Drosera peltata'' var. ''gracilis'') Image:Tall Sundew.jpg, ''Drosera peltata'' subsp. ''auriculata'' Image:Drosera peltata ssp. auriculata.png, Close-up of ''Drosera peltata'' subsp. ''auriculata'' with captured insect.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q312196 Carnivorous plants of Asia Carnivorous plants of Australia Carnivorous plants of New Zealand Caryophyllales of Australia Eudicots of Western Australia Flora of South Australia Flora of Queensland Flora of New South Wales Flora of the Australian Capital Territory Flora of Victoria (Australia) Flora of Tasmania Plants described in 1797 peltata