ISSN 1033-6966

Cephalotus follicularis

December 2005 No. 78

VICTORIAN CARNIVOROUSPLANT SOCIETY Inc.

Utricularia inaequalis

Drosera erythrorhiza ssp. squamosaNepenthes aristolochioides

Utricularia multifida Utricularia petertaylorii

Pinguicula leptoceras Drosera moorei Nepenthes dubia

2 – VCPS VCPS – 3

Issue No. 78 December 2005Office Bearers: July 2005 – June 2006

VICTORIAN CARNIVOROUSPLANT SOCIETY Inc.

Annual SubscriptionsAustralian membership $20.00Overseas membership $20.00

Payment from overseas must be in Australian dollars.All cheques or money orders should be made payable to the VictorianCarnivorous Plant Society Inc (VCPS).Payment by credit card is NOT available at the time of this journal issue.

CorrespondencePlease forward all correspondence regarding subscription, change of address, articles for the journal and back issues to:The Secretary VCPSP.O. Box 201SOUTH YARRA 3141.AUSTRALIA

Journal articles, in MS-Word, ready for publication, may be Emailed to the Editor or Secretary.

MeetingsMost VCPS meetings are held in the hall at the rear of the Pilgrim Uniting Church onthe corner of Bayview Road and Montague Street, Yarraville – Melway map reference41K7. These meetings are on the fourth Wednesday of the month at 8 PM.

However, some meetings may be at the home of members during a weekend.Details of meeting dates and topics are listed in each journal.

If unsure of the location or date of any meeting, please ring a committee person for details.

The VCPS Annual General Meeting, usually held at Yarraville in June, providessubstantial benefits for each and every member able to attend.

VICTORIAN CARNIVOROUSPLANT SOCIETY Inc.

President Stephen Fretwell

Vice President Sean Spence

General Secretary Paul Edwards

Minutes Secretary Sean Spence

Other Publications Gordon Ohlenrott

Journal Editor Stephen Fretwell

Assistant Journal Editor George Caspar

Internet Co-ordinator Paul Edwards

Treasurer Ken Neal

Librarian Andrew Gibbons

Seedbank Administrator George Caspar

Hardware Co-ordinator Andre Cleghorn

Show Co-ordinator Peter Anderson

Field Trips Organiser George Caspar

Public Officer Alexander Whitehouse

Sales Administrator Ron Abernethy

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Fieldtrip to Hoppers Crossing & Anglesea 6

Gardening Australia Festival 10

Growing annual south western WAUtricularia species from seed 12

A summary of the methods used topropagate non-tuberous Drosera 16

Contents

The articles that are found within are copyright but can be copiedfreely if the author and source are acknowledged. The views are of theauthors and are open to review and debate. Please send all material tothe editor for consideration to be included in our quarterly journal.

FRONT COVER:Cephalotus follicularis.Photographed in the wild atWalpole by Richard Nunn.

BACK COVER: Clockwise from top left:� Utricularia inaequalis, grownand photographed by SeanSpence.

� Utricularia multifida, grown andphotographed by Sean Spence.

� Utricularia petertaylorii, grownand photographed by SeanSpence.

� Nepenthes dubia, grown byRichard Nunn, photographedby Stephen Fretwell

� Drosera erythrorhiza ssp.squamosa photographed inthe wild near Perth along theBrookton Hwy by RichardNunn.

� Nepenthes aristolochioides,grown by Richard Nunn.

� Pinguicula leptoceras grownand photographed by StephenFretwell.

� Drosera moorei (centre) grownand photographed by StephenFretwell.

Journal Design: Stephen FretwellPrinted by:Snap Printing (Box Hill)

One of the largest flowers in its’ genus, Drosera pauciflora’sflowers can reach 6-7cm in diameter. Photo: Stephen Fretwell

January (14th) New Year BBQ, Darlingtonia, Dionaea.

February (22nd) Sarracenia species and hybrids, beginners night.

March (22nd) Nepenthes and Heliamphora.

April (26th) Drosera, video and information night.

May (24th) Growing conditions, pygmy Drosera gemmaecollection, 'best' and 'worst' plants.

June (28th) AGM, plant give-away, any CPs.

July (26th) Seed growing, tissue culture and potting demonstration, any CPs.

August (23rd) Tuberous/Winter growing Drosera, show preparation, displays, and companion planting.

September (27th) Cephalotus, Brocchinia, Catopsis and swap night.

October (29th) Field trip to Triffid Park (Sunday afternoon,commencing with barbecue lunch) Pinguiculaand pygmy Drosera.

November (22nd) Byblis, Drosophyllum, Genlisea, Roridula, Utricularia.

December (TBA) Annual show at Collectors Corner.

Please note: All meetings, other than those where a specific venue is given, willbe on the FOURTH WEDNESDAY of the month in the hall of the Pilgrim UnitingChurch in Yarraville – corner Bayview Road and Montague Street, Melway MapReference 41K7.

This year we have scheduled the following discussion topics, and events:

VICTORIAN CARNIVOROUS PLANT SOCIETY

MEETING TOPICS & DATES for 2006

6 – VCPS VCPS – 7

Utricularia australis in flower at the wetlands at Hoppers Crossing.

SEAN SPENCE.

In January of 2005 George Caspar,Steve Fretwell and I decided to revisitthe Anglesea area in an attempt to

locate populations of Drosera binata. Theseaside town of Anglesea is famous forits sandy heathland that abounds innative wildflowers including many nativecarnivorous plant and orchid species.

After years of lobbying, the surround-ing area is gazetted to become aNational Park in the near future. Thearea is characterised by low heathlandvegetation with sandy soils combined

with areas of swampland – both perfecthabitats for CPs.

I had last seen D. binata at Angleseaback in the late 1980s following a bush-fire that had cleared out the large swampthat dominates the Anglesea river valley.Since that time the area had becomeincreasingly overgrown by Gleicheniafern which had made penetration of theundergrowth surrounding the swampvirtually impossible.

We headed off to the area early in themorning after George and Steve arrivedat my house. On the way we had decidedto check out a swamp near Hoppers

Fieldtrip to Hoppers Crossing and Anglesea insearch of Utricularia australis and Drosera binata

Crossing which was known to contain largepopulations of the aquatic Utricularia australis.I had discovered the plants growing inDecember of the previous year whilstsearching for the flowers of Utricularia beau-gleholei with Greg Bourke. We were hopingthat the U. australis would be flowering as thewater level had gradually receded.

Upon arriving at the open swamp it didn’ttake long to locate the U. australis. Theswamp had dried considerably since I waslast there and many of the Utricularia weregrowing on dried ground. Upon lifting someof the dried specimens we discovered thatthey had formed small turions on the under-sides. The turions were produced ongrowth points of various lengths, some upto 5cms long. The turions had been pushedinto the soil by the plant, an adaptation tosurvive the remainder of the hot dry sum-mer. Previously we had assumed that thisspecies only produced the turions inresponse to the cooler weather of winter. Itwas interesting to discover a new adapta-tion of these storage organs.

As we headed further into the wetlandthe water became deeper and the U. australisbecame more prevalent. The depth of thewater in most areas was about 20-30cmsand teeming with aquatic life. Many flowerswere apparent however most had beendamaged by rains received in previous days.The rains, combined with intensely hot daysfollowing, had left the flowers with tears andblemishes. Eventually we managed to find afew specimens with perfect flowers of whichmany photos were taken. Having achievedour aim in finding flowers of U. australis weheaded off to the seaside town of Angleseain an attempt to find D. binata and othersummer growing CPs.

After a 45 minute drive down the Princes

Freeway and through Geelong we arrived atour turn off, a few kilometres before theAnglesea township. We headed down ForestRd until we found a small dirt track calledShiney-Eye track. This track heads down tothe swamp and is recommended only for 4 x4 vehicles – as George in one of his previousjournal articles can attest. Unlike our previ-ous trip to the spot, which was incrediblymuddy, this time the area was very dry. We

U. australis left stranded on a high mud flat.

Turions forming from the stem of U. australis.

George with a leech found in the wetlands.

8 – VCPS VCPS – 9

also had the luxury of a larger 4 x 4 shouldthe environment become too rugged.

Shiney-Eye track is one of a series oftracks which criss-cross the sandy conserva-tion area. Most of these tracks are accessi-ble year round however there are a fewwhich head down to the swamp that areseasonally closed. The gates of these tracksare only open for the dry period betweensummer and autumn. We took a detour offShiney-eye track down one of the seasonaltracks and headed for the swamp.

The swamp itself is approximately 5 kilo-metres in length by around 500 metres inwidth. The track winds around the circum-ference. We drove around the swamp in thehope that we might find an open area thatwe could walk into. Unfortunately theswamp was in dire need of an intense bush-fire and accessibility was virtually impossible.We stopped at a couple of areas whichwere low and swampy but had no luck inlocating any CPs. After circumnavigating theswamp we realised that it was fruitless con-tinuing our search in this area.

At this point we headed off the track andfound ourselves on the sealed Gumflats

Road. We turned left and headed back intothe bushland. It wasn’t long before wepassed another seasonal track calledAllardyce track. This was a track I had nevertravelled down before and had no idea whatto expect. After a short drive through verysandy soils we hit the top of a hill overlook-ing a low valley. We were very surprisedand pleased to see that the area had beenburnt out sometime in the recent past.Through the middle of the valley ran a smallstream. The closer we got to the area themore it appeared to be the perfect habitatfor D. binata and other CPs.

I parked the Jeep at the top of the hill andwe headed down the valley. We first triedthe eastern side of the track and pushedthrough the burnt out tea trees of theheathland. We each had to carry a burntstick to wave around in front of us as spi-ders and their webs were rife throughoutthe area. After a short time searching wefinally found what we had been looking for.A small patch of Drosera binata was found ina blackened, dry area. The plants were notlooking terribly healthy, the extreme heatand lack of water had affected them and

Drosera binata T-form. Utricularia dichotoma. Utricularia lateriflora.

they were well past their best. After muchsearching we failed to locate any moreplants on this side of the track.

We then crossed over to the western side.Instantly this seemed a more likely area forfinding CPs. The ground was much moisterand the creek seemed to be wider and moreopen. Before long we found large patches ofD. binata carpeting the ground. The plantswere not large, only around 10-15 cms inheight. These had also passed their best.

The further we searched the more wefound and as we headed down towards thestream we began to notice the small delicate,pale purple flowers of Utricularia laterifloracovering the ground. These plants were onlysmall – averaging about 7 cms in height butthey were in full flower and quite attractivein their own right.

I then decided to head further towards thecentre of the stream where the ground wasvery wet and peaty. As I peered through therushes and tea trees I noticed larger purpleflowers filling the open areas. This was thefirst time I had seen Utricularia dichotomagrowing in the Anglesea area. Most surprisingwas the time of flowering. Most other popu-lations of U. dichotoma in lowland areas ofVictoria had finished flowering long agowhereas these had only just begun.

The flowers of this form were quite largeand around 2cms in diameter. The scapes toowere tall, mostly around 30cms. The mostinteresting feature of this form though wasthe colour of the leaves. They were very dif-ficult to spot on the peaty soil and were deepmaroon in colour rather than the deep greenthat is common in other Victorian forms.

After taking many photos we decided tohead off and see if we could find any morepopulations of CP. Unfortunately after muchsearching and traversing of dirt tracks we

were unable to find any suitable habitat.One thing of interest that we did manage tolocate was a bone dry stream that hadincredibly large colonies of sphagnum sp.growing all along the banks. This stream isfull of running water during the cooler, wet-ter months and would be quite an impres-sive sight during the growing season. Wedecided that the spot would be worth alook during our next visit.

The Anglesea area is also known to contain the tuberous Drosera species – D. peltata, auriculata, whittakerii ssp. aberrans,macrantha ssp. planchonii as well as otherDrosera species D. pygmaea and glanduligera.Utricularia tenella is also common in spring.Although we didn’t manage to find any ofthese species due to the timing of our visit,it was still well worth spending a day in thearea even though it was not at its peak.

The habitat at Anglesea where D. binata, U. dichotoma and U. lateriflora grow.

Utricularia dichotoma.

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The VCPS stand at the Gardening Australia show.

Gardening Australia FestivalGORDON OHLENROTT

T his article is to give members-some insight into our participa-tion in the Festival at Caulfield

Racecourse on the 29th September tothe 2nd October this year, 2005.

We set up our display of CPs onWednesday the 28th, so as to be readyfor the first arrivals of the crowd onThursday.

We included most of the readily avail-able genera to try and give a completepicture of our plants in the limited spaceprovided for the uninitiated visitors.

There were some Nepenthes: an N. xAllardii, one of the beauties originallyfrom Triffid Park, and a couple of smallerplants having lots of bright red pitchers.

It was a fortunate time to displaySarracenia. In this group were threeplants with some open flowers on each– one with deep red petals, one withpink petals, and another with yellowpetals – "Wow!", "Beautiful!", we fre-quently heard. Most visitors to our standwere openly fascinated with the varia-tion of colouring to be seen here.

David’s fern log of Pinguicula and vari-ous other specimens in flower were alsobeautiful – "And you get them fromMexico? – fascinating!".

The VFTs were represented by apacked tray of small plants and a coupleof 6" pots having much larger plants –most people didn't realise the VFTscould be so big. The green plant with redinside the traps, and the maroon 'Akai

PitcherPlantFever.comImporting rare pitcher plants for Australians.

Distributor for Borneo Exotics and Malesiana Tropicals.Enquiries to agustinfranco@excite.com

SOUTHERN CARNIVOREShttp://www.scarnivores.com

philmann@geo.net.au

P.O.Box 193 Harvey, W.A. 6220Contact Phil for a wide range of exotic and rare

Nepenthes species and hybrids.Drosera, Pinguicula and Cephalotus also available.

Ryu’- “The Red Dragon” showed some ofthe range possible for the Venus Flytraps.

The Drosera – D. capensis (in variouscolours), some pygmies, and some wonder-ful tall tuberous Drosera provided a goodrepresentation. The visitors were interestedto learn that a considerable number ofplants in this genus are native to Australia.

Our stand was situated on the Promenadelevel – the top public area within the grand-stand. This portion of the whole festival wasshown on the map provided for all the visit-ing public, so we seemed to have a goodthroughput of people most of the time.

The uniqueness of our plant types was ameans of attracting attention from most ofthe passers-by. The people were fascinatedand inspired by the beauty of the plants andwhat they could do to obtain their nutrition-al requirements. Frequently there was a bitof congestion for people trying to 'get a look'and ask questions about our assembled

collection. Many people were slightly disap-pointed that we were not permitted to sellany plants during this time – this was in therules for having been provided with a standfree of charge.

David printed a large number of smallpaper flyers to provide basic informationabout the VCPS: these were given to every-one we could reach on the way past. Forthose that stopped we mentioned theevents elsewhere that would be of interest,such as the open day at Triffid Park and ourshow at Collectors Corner on the 4th and5th of December – where there would belots of plants for sale in each case. I did seesome of the people from the festival attend-ing at the open day. We hope that manyremembered to come to our show.

With the hope that we will benefit fromgeneral awareness of CPs, and new mem-berships, we will apply for participation inthis event in 2006.

12 – VCPS VCPS – 13

SEAN SPENCE

Over many years I have hadnumerous attempts at growingsome of the Australian annual

Utricularia species from seed with littleor no luck. A couple of years back Idecided to have a more genuine attemptat adding a few of these fantastic littleplants to my collection. These annualspecies produce only a small rosette ofleaves that do not spread across the sub-strate surface as those of the perennialspecies do. Due to this lack of spreadingcapabilities the plants die when condi-tions do not suit, ie- when the substratedries out in summer.

My previous attempts had been very

hit or miss as I had no real understand-ing of the requirements of these species.After paying closer attention to theirnatural conditions I decided to give themanother try, this time with great results.

These plants are actually very simpleto germinate, grow and flower if theyare treated in the correct manner. Thekey to good germination is fresh seed.Although the seed of many of the annualspecies generally remains viable forlonger than perennial species (which canbe extremely short lived), the older theseed is, the lower the rate of germina-tion you can expect.

It is worth noting that these annualspecies inhabit areas that are very wetduring the cooler months with this

Utriculaia inaequalis in flower. Photo: Sean Spence

Growing annual south westernWA Utricularia species from seed

moisture continuing into spring and earlysummer. Common environments includeperennial and ephemeral swamps as well asseeps on granite outcrops. These areas usu-ally dry out completely during the heat ofsummer and the Utricularia survive these dryperiods by producing ample quantities ofseed. The seed lies dormant on the bakingground until the rains and cool weatherarrives during autumn and winter. The wet-ness and cooler weather triggers the seedinto germination to once again colonise thewaterlogged environment.

If you can emulate these conditions youshould have no problems with the culture ofthis group. The species from WA that I havehad success with include Utricularia inaequalis,benthamii, violacea, westonii, multifida, tenellaand petertaylorii. Other similar species fromthe south east of Australia (eg- U. beaugleholeiand dichotoma varieties) also respond to thesame cultural methods.

I have found that the best time to sowthe seed is towards the end of summer.Luckily, I have not found it necessary to pro-vide the seeds with a period of extremeheat that they would naturally experienceafter dehiscing from the parent plant, asthey germinate well without it.

The seed is sown on a mix of peat andsand in equal parts. The pot is then placedinto a plastic container with the waterraised so that it is level with the surface ofthe mix. The high water table is helpful inbreaking down the seed coat inhibitor thatthese species produce to prevent themfrom germinating after light showers orthunderstorms during inappropriate timesof the year, ie- the middle of summer.

Once the pot has been placed into thecontainer and the appropriate amount ofwater has been added, the lid should bereplaced and secured. The lid is importantas it prevents evaporation. Evaporation initself is no problem, but the addition ofwater to replace that which has been evap-orated can unsettle the surface of the mixand disturb the seeds or seedlings. I havefound that it is best to place the sealed con-tainer in a dimly lit, cool spot where it isunlikely to be disturbed. My area of choiceis underneath my greenhouse bencheswhere it is placed and forgotten about.

If the seeds are sown at the end of sum-mer in Melbourne, within a month or so thetemperatures should begin to decrease.Around this time you should begin to noticethe first signs of germination. The seedlings

The distinctive flowers of U. benthamii, U. petertaylorii and U. multifida. Photos: Sean Spence

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are extremely small and a magnifying glassor something similar is often required tospot the first signs of germination. Whengermination has been noticed I provide atouch more light, not a lot though as innature these plants often germinateamongst tall grasses and herbs which pro-vide shade and protection.

During the winter months in their naturalenvironment these plants will often grow assubmerged, affixed plants. It is not uncom-mon for them to grow under several inchesof water, sometimes up to a foot in depth.This submersion creates a stable environ-ment providing the plants with plenty ofmicrofauna for them to capture and digest.Several species will produce traps above thesurface of the substrate, often suspended onthe end of their leaves.

To simulate these conditions I raise thelevel inside the container so that it is between2-10cms (depending upon the species) abovethe substrate after the seed has germinated.By this time the substrate will have settledenough for the seedlings to cope with thehigher watertable and should not float off. Itry to move the container as little as possibleto diminish the chances of disturbing the sur-face. From here the plants are left to growand develop until the end of spring when thetemperatures begin to increase again.

When the temperatures do increase Imove the containers to an even brighterposition, but still partially shaded. The lid ofthe container is then removed and the wateris allowed to gradually evaporate and recede,as it would do in nature. As the level dropsback down to the surface the plants shouldhave already begun to produce flowerscapes. From this stage onwards I keep thewater level at the surface of the substrate.

Ideally, by the end of spring the plantsshould be in full flower. Most of these

species will produce several flower scapes insuccession from their rosettes. If you wish tocontinue growing the plants the next seasonit is now very important that you make anattempt to pollinate the flowers. The methodI use is to use a toothpick or dead Droseraflower scape which is wetted on the end. Thetoothpick or scape is pushed between thegap of the upper and lower corollas andmanoeuvred around concentrating on theupper surface. The toothpick is then movedfrom flower to flower to ensure cross-polli-nation and good seed set. This processshould be repeated over several days toincrease the probability of pollination.

By the middle of summer the plants willhave finished flowering and the seed can becollected. At this point the plants will perish.I choose to dry out the pot and store itaway until the onset of cool weather andthen rewet. I have found that further germi-nation can occur from either seed that didn’t germinate the previous year or fromseed that dropped from the seedpods.

Within a couple of months the collectedseed can again be sown and the wholeprocess can begin again.

The growing rosette of U. benthamii – notethe traps on the end of the leaves.

Photo: Sean Spence.

TRIFFID PARK257 PERRY ROAD, KEYSBOROUGH, VIC, 3173, AUSTRALIA

PHONE: 61 (0)3 9769 1663, 11am to 5pm Monday to Thursday ONLY

***NEW*** FAX: 61 (03) 9701 5816, 24 hours, 7 days per weekEMAIL: triffids@triffidpark.com.au triffids@triffidpark.com.au

WEB: www.triffidpark.com.auOwned and operated by Colin and Tina Clayton. Managed by Donna ClaytonSmith.

FOR ALL YOUR CARNIVOROUS PLANT REQUIREMENTS INCLUDING:

PLANTS, POTS, LABELS, BOOKS, SEEDS,

SPHAGNUM MOSS AND PEAT MOSS

WRITE, PHONE, FAX OR EMAIL TRIFFID PARK FOR A FREE COLOUR

MAIL ORDER CATALOGUE OR VIEW OUR COMPREHENSIVE WEB SITE.

You are most welcome to visit Triffid Park, but please organise this with us first,

as sales and inspection are by appointment ONLY.

NEWSThank you to all the members who attended our Open Day on Saturday 23rd October and

helped to make it a success. We had a great day, and we hope everyone who

took home a free deflasked Nepenthes at our demonstration is having luck with it.

Thanks to Steve for doing the potting. Congratulations to Richard Lee of Mount Waverly

who won our $25 gift voucher in our free raffle on the day.

We have booked in next years Open Day for Sunday 29th October – Colin’s 65th Birthday

– so put it in your diary now and make sure you don’t miss it.

We still have some copies of the book “Plants of Prey” by Densey Clyne, printed in 1992.

It is 32 pages with 31 colour photos, written in English text, with a soft cover. All copies

are personally autographed and sell for $25 + gst including postage.

Or a SPECIAL for VCPS members of 5 books for $75 + gst including postage if you want

to put together an order with friends.

We now have Gift Vouchers available. Tell your friends and family, so if they don’t know what

to get you for your birthday, they can purchase you a gift voucher to Triffid Park. They can be

used to purchase carnivorous plants, books or anything else that we sell at Triffid Park.

Colin has written an article about his trip to Seychelles and Mauritius, and you can ready about

it on our web site at: http://www.triffidpark.com.au/htm_pages/seychelles.htm

Congratulations to Gordon Ohlenrott who won our “Clayton’s Award” at the V.C.P.S show on

the 3rd December, for his Pygmy Drosera display spelling out “VCPS”. We awarded him a

$25 gift voucher to be used at Triffid Park. Congratulations to all the members on a great show.

Please note: we have a new dedicated fax number now: 03 9701 5816 This means that we can now

accept faxes 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and we don’t even have to be in the office to do so!

Our phone number remains the same, but is no longer able to accept faxes.

16 – VCPS VCPS – 17

or summer dormancy). The species grow invarious climates, some in tropical, sub-tropi-cal or temperate zones [1]. Furthermore, thegenus Drosera is distributed across all conti-nents of the world, excluding Antarctica.

Drosera trap insects by using sticky glandson their leaves. Many species readily curltheir leaves around the trapped insect (eg- D.capensis), whereas the leaves of other speciesdo not seem inclined to curl (eg- D. binata & D. filiformis). Though in the latter,kinks are sometimes observed across the leafin areas where larger insects are caught. Thisleaf curling assists in the digestive process, asit allows a greater number of digestive glandsto contact and engulf the prey.

There are a number of different groupsof sundews, and each species differs fromanother in many and various ways (eg-growth habit, flower size & flower colour,seed shape & cultural requirements).Drosera binata, commonly referred to as theforked sundew, has a number of stem-likeleaves that radiate out from a basal growthpoint. At the top of each of these “stems”,or petioles, the leaves adopt a fork shapedappearance. These forks are covered insticky digestive glands. There are a numberof forms of D. binata, and each form can bedistinguished from another by features suchas the size and colour of the plant, thelength of the leaves or the size or number offork divisions of the leaf.

The D. binata var. dichotoma “Giant form”is one of the larger varieties with petioleswell over a foot in height. This form can pro-duce a number of forks, but typically two toform a four pointed leaf. One of the leavescurrently in my collection has been measuredat 22cm across. The flowerscape can reachover two feet in height and produces a num-ber of large white flowers. Unlike some ofthe smaller forms of D. binata, this plant does

not seem to be self-fertile in my growing con-ditions and therefore requires vegetativepropagation in order to multiply (seePropagation using root cuttings).

Drosera burmannii and D. capillaris aresmaller, rosetted species of sundews. In myconditions D. burmannii on average reachesa diameter of around 2.0cm*. However, awhile ago I had a D. burmannii which reachedapproximately 100mm in diameter.

D. capillaris “Brazil”. Photo: Sean Spence

Drosera binata var dichotoma “Giant”.Photo: Stephen Fretwell

STEVE AMOROSO

ABSTRACT

Horticulturalists have been propa-gating plants for many years inan attempt to regenerate or

multiply a species of plant, improve itssurvival rate, and to make it commer-cially available to the public. Over theyears a number of methods of propagat-ing plants have been employed toachieve such aims. Some of the methodsthat can be used to multiply a plantinclude, but are not restricted to –seeds, leaf cuttings, divisions, rhizomeand root cuttings and tissue culture.This review will focus on some of the

commonly grown species of sundews(Drosera) and on the methods that canbe used to propagate these plants.

INTRODUCTIONThere are a number of different genera ofcarnivorous plants that exist, each ofthese having a specific method of catchingprey. The sundews (Drosera) are one typeof carnivorous plant. There are over 170different species of Drosera [2]. Some ofthese species are annuals (species thatonly live for a short period of time beforeperishing to be replaced the followingseason by seed), whereas most speciesare perennials (can live for a number ofyears, some species experiencing a winter

Drosera burmannii “Hong Kong”. Photo: Sean Spence

A summary of the methods used topropagate non-tuberous Drosera

18 – VCPS VCPS – 19

species are self-pollinating, meaning thatthey do not require the pollen from a sec-ond plant to produce seeds. The seed ofDrosera can be extremely variable. Someseeds are long and thin, as for D. capensis, orrounded as for D. filiformis var filiformis.Seeds are black in colour, and for mostspecies the seeds sprout readily within aone to two month period.

Seed should be sprinkled on the surfaceof growing medium that is composed of peatmoss, or a mixture of peat moss, perlite andcoarse washed river sand. Placing pots ortrays containing Drosera seeds in a closedhumid environment is recommended. TheDrosera genus contains many tough speciesand many of these will readily germinatewhen exposed to harsh outdoor conditions.Furthermore, for some species if given thechance, a single plant placed in a large con-tainer is capable of filling the container withhundreds of plants within a few months.Therefore, the advantage of using seeds asthe main method of propagation for thisgenus is the large number of plants that willresult, and depending on the species, thesecan reach full size from a few months to acouple of years.

Unfortunately, for a number of species itis difficult, and sometimes not possible forthese plants to produce seeds without twodifferent clones. D. binata var. dichotoma“Giant”, has been in my collection forapproximately 12 years and has never produced seeds. For this variety, vegetativepropagation is the only method of produc-ing more plants. Other varieties of Droserabinata – D. binata var multifida and D. binatavar. multifida f extrema, which are beautifulred, and highly leaf forking variants of thegiant version, have never produced seeds inmy collection either.

PROPAGATION OF DROSERABY DIVISIONSome varieties of Drosera can produce anumber of plants from the main section ofthe plant. Examples of species that com-monly divide to produce new plants includeD. binata forms and D. filiformis. It is possibleto divide up these plants from the main sec-tion of the plant, provided these plantletshave their own root system. These can bepotted up in either pure peat moss, or amixture of peat moss (3 parts) and coarsewashed river sand (1 part). D. filiformis inparticular readily divides to produce a num-ber of new plants. This normally takes placein the middle of summer prior to the plantsundergoing a winter resting period, as indi-cated by the formation of a green, roundresting bud or hibernacula. In early spring,these small plantlets can be divided off the

Drosera filiformis var. filiformis.

This plant was growing in a Lithuanian-based peat moss. I have found that D. capillarisusually reaches a diameter of around 1.5cm*(although these have been known to reach8cm in diameter, [1] and personal commentfrom a reviewer).

Both of these sundews form a rosette-shaped growth habit with rounded leaves inthe case of D. capillaris and wedge shapedleaves in D. burmannii. The major differencesbetween the two species is that of leafcolour, leaf shape and flower colour.Although both species produce short flowerscapes (13cm for both D. burmanniiand D. capillaris)*, D. burmannii generally pro-duces white-coloured flowers and D. capil-laris usually produces pink-coloured flowers(white coloured flowers have also beenobserved for D. capillaris, personal commentfrom a reviewer). Also, the most commonlygrown form of D. burmannii produces lightgreen-coloured leaves, whereas D. capillariswill produce dark green leaves which turnred to dark-red if the plants are exposed tohigh light intensity.

Drosera capensis (the Cape sundew) hasleaves 10cm* long that grow from a com-mon growth point. This growth point takeson the appearance of a stem as the plant

becomes older. The top half of the leaf iscovered in red sticky glands (or white forthe registered cultivar D. capensis ‘Albino’).The leaves of D. capensis readily fold overan insect when captured. This species canspread very rapidly by seed in a short peri-od of time. It produces a flowerscape thatis 29cm* long, and produces pink/purpleflowers (or white flowers for the sub-species D. capensis ‘Albino’).

The majority of Drosera propagate read-ily from seed. This method is often thefavoured method of propagation for a num-ber of species such as D. burmannii and D. capensis which produce seedlings thatcan easily infest a pot within a few months.However, there are a number of speciessuch as D. binata var. dichotoma “Giant” thatdo not produce seeds by self pollination,and therefore require vegetative methodsfor propagation. In this case, other methodssuch as root cuttings seem to be an effec-tive method for the propagation of thisform of D. binata. This is probably due tothe thickness and fleshiness of the roots.

PROPAGATION OF DROSERA BY SEEDSSeeds are the most common method ofpropagation of Drosera. Many of the Drosera

Drosera capensis. Drosera capensis flower close-up.

20 – VCPS VCPS – 21

because the plant(s) often tend to shootfrom the base of the leaf, and it seems thata small piece of the plants stem that is leftintact promotes the growth of a new plant.

These leaves should be buried no morethan about 1/3 of the total leaf length intothe growing medium. The media can be amixture of peat moss and coarse washedriver sand, pure peat moss, or a favourableoption for leaf cuttings, sphagnum moss. It ispossible to lay leaves horizontally along thesurface of the growing medium, and plantletswill shoot along the length of the entire leaf.

The pots with cuttings should be placedin a terrarium or a container covered with asheet of glass or perspex to create a humidenvironment. The leaves should produceplantlet(s) in two to three months, andthese can be removed from the terrariumand placed outdoors after such time thatthey have developed their own root system.I have propagated D. capillaris using thismethod, and have observed a plantlet grow-ing out from the centre of the trap wherethe leaf is covered in digestive glands.

The advantage of using leaf cuttings as amethod of propagation is that a large numberof plantlets can be produced in a shortperiod of time.

PROPAGATION VIA TISSUE CULTUREThere is a range of various protocols for per-forming tissue culture, and there are specific

protocols that can be used for different pur-poses. I have successfully managed to germi-nate seeds of D. capensis onto an agarmedium. These seedlings were then plantedinto a growing medium (peat moss and sand),however it was noted that seedlings thatwere sprouted onto the agar media and thentransplanted seemed to take longer to growin comparison to a plant sprouted directlyinto a peat and sand growing medium.

CONCLUSIONThis review has considered a range of prop-agating techniques that I have had success inusing on the genus Drosera. Although thisfamily of plants is very prolific worldwide,there are a number of species that are rareand therefore limited in numbers. It is there-fore possible to apply the same techniqueson rare species of sundews that are gener-ally more difficult to reproduce or obtain.

“Author’s Note”*These measurements were performed bythe author based on the largest plants in hiscurrent collection. Therefore these meas-urements are relevant to plants grown undercultivation conditions, and not in the wild.

Reference[1] Cheers, G (1992) Carnivorous Plants of theWorld, Collins. Angus & Robertson PublishersPty Ltd, NSW, Australia.

[2] ICPS Carnivorous Plant database.

Carnivorous and Unusual Seeds.F.J. & E.M. Howell.

3 Normandy Ave, Parra Hills. S.A. 5096Phone.: (08) 8264 2825

Fred offers a wide variety of plants and seeds. Sarracenia, Drosera, Utricularia, Pinguicula, Nepenthes, Dionaea and more.

Contact him for his latest list of stock available.

main plant and placed in separate pots usingthe growing medium already described.

The advantage of producing plantlets bydivision is that a number of mature plantsmay be produced at a more rapid rate.These will usually reach adult size within afew months if they are not already mature.The only disadvantage (which is usually rarewith this prolific genus) is that divisions, evenwith their own root system, are susceptibleto rot caused as a result of fungal attacks. Ifsuch a case occurs it is recommended thatthe affected cuttings are removed as soon aspossible, and to treat the remaining cuttingswith an appropriate fungicide.

USING ROOT CUTTINGS AS AMETHOD OF PROPAGATIONFor a number of species, the use of rootcuttings can be very successful. For varietieswith thicker, fleshy roots, this method isvery appropriate. I have successfully man-aged to produce plantlets for the species D. adelae, D. binata and D. capensis usingroot cuttings.

Long root pieces about 10cm, should beremoved from the parent plant (rememberdo not take too many root pieces, other-wise you will reduce the chances of theplant recovering quickly). These roots canbe cut into smaller sections, say 2-3cm long.These should be placed onto the surface offresh peat moss, or a mixture of peat moss(3 parts) and coarse washed river sand (1 part), and then lightly covered using thesame growing medium. Moisten the peatmoss and place the pot into a terrarium ora large plastic container covered with asheet of glass or perspex. Ensure the con-tainer is placed in an area where it receivessome filtered (not too much) sunlight,preferably in a semi-shaded position.

I have also succeeded in growing Droserafrom root cuttings outdoors in harsh

conditions. These root pieces should begin toshoot within a month or so, and the plants can usually be separated and potted up followingaround three or four months growth, provi-ded the plants have their own root system.

The advantage of using root cuttings as amethod of propagation is that it produces alarge number of plants that can be potted upseparately and treated as mature plants in ashort period of time. Plants grown fromroot cuttings usually reach maturity in a fewmonths (in the case of the giant form of D. binata var. dichotoma).

LEAF CUTTINGS AS A METHOD OFPROPAGATIONDrosera is one of the few genera of carnivo-rous plants that can be successfully propa-gated by leaf cuttings. I have successfullypropagated D. adelae, D. capensis, D. capillarisand D. filiformis var filiformis by this method.However, it is definitely possible to propa-gate many other varieties of Drosera usingthe same method.

When propagating by leaf cutting, it isimportant to extract a leaf that is healthy, aswell as to ensure that it is removed from asclose to the stem as possible. This is

Drosera adelae.