Drosera trinervia

Drosera trinervia

Family: Droseraceae

Common names: Small Sundew

It is a perennial carnivorous plant and can be recognised by its small basal rosettes covered with reddish, sticky, glandular hairs. The palnts are only 50 – 100 mm high and have one or two long, slightly swollen roots. The wedge-shaped laminas (leaf blades) have slightly rounded ends, 10-20 mm long and 4-7 mm wide. The three veins on the underside of the lamina are most noticeable on dead leaves. Petioles (leaf stalks) are absent but stipules are present on either side of the base of the lamina margin. The stipules, in the form of two thin filaments, are inconspicuous and deciduous. The glandular hairs or tentacles are much larger at the top of the lamina than at the base. The lower surface of the lamina is smooth and without hairs (glabrous) or becomes smooth with age.

Sowing instructions: Use a soil mix of 50% peat moss and 50% perlite. Make sure the soil is completely moist. Use a 4-inch pot if you are sowing a small pinch of these seeds. Sprinkle your seeds evenly over the soil and very gently tap them down. Keep your pot in standing water. Use a tray or a bowl to set your pot in, and fill it up with water. Keep the water line no more than half way up the pot. Use water that is low in minerals. Keep the air temperature between 75° and 85°F for optimal germination.

Locality: Stellenbosch. Harvest: December 2024