''Drosera whittakeri'' (scented sundew, Whittaker's sundew) is a sundew that is native to South Australia and Victoria.

Description

Plants are 4 to 8 cm in diameter, with broadly spathulate leaves arranged in a rosette. These may be green, orange-yellow or red in colour and are 10 to 15 mm long and 9 to 13 mm wide. Up to 20 white flowers are produced overall, with multiple flowers open at any one time. The main flowering period is May to November in its native range, but flowers may appear throughout the year.

Taxonomy

The species was formally described by Jules Émile Planchon in '' Annales des Sciences Naturelles'' in 1848 as ''Drosera'' "''Whittakerii''". The species was named after Derbyshire botanist Joseph Whittaker who collected some 300 plant specimens from Adelaide and the southern Mount Lofty Ranges to Encounter Bay between 1839 and 1840. Two subspecies are recognised by some authorities: *''Drosera whittakeri'' subsp. ''aberrans'' Lowrie & Carlquist *''Drosera whittakeri'' Planch. subsp. ''whittakeri'' In 2008,

Allen Lowrie Allen Lowrie (10 October 1948 - 30 August 2021) was a Western Australian botanist. He was recognised for his expertise on the genera '' Drosera'' and ''Stylidium ''Stylidium'' (also known as triggerplants or trigger plants) is a genus of dicot ...

and John G. Conran elevated the former to species status, as '' Drosera aberrans''. The authors also argue that ''

Drosera praefolia ''Drosera praefolia'' is a perennial tuberous species in the genus '' Drosera'' that is endemic to South Australia. It grows in a rosette 4 to 6 cm in diameter with green or sometimes red leaves. It is native to south-east South Austral ...

'' should be considered a distinct species, rather than a synonym of ''D. whittakeri''.Lowrie, A. & J.G. Conran 2008. ''Telopea'' 12(2): 147–165.

Gallery

File:Drosera whittakeri 149598898.jpg, ''Drosera whittakeri'' showing inflorescence. File:Drosera whittakeri tuber 2 Darwiniana.jpg, Underground tuber of ''Drosera whittakeri''

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q143177 whittakeri Carnivorous plants of Australia Caryophyllales of Australia Flora of South Australia Plants described in 1848