Slenderleaf sundew facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Slenderleaf sundew |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Drosera
|
| Species: |
linearis
|
| Synonyms | |
|
|
The slenderleaf sundew, also known as Drosera linearis, is a special type of sundew plant. You can find it in the Great Lakes region of North America. It grows in both Canada and the United States, including places like Michigan and Montana. This small plant usually grows no taller than four inches.
What Does the Slenderleaf Sundew Look Like?
The slenderleaf sundew is a plant that lives for many years. It has long, thin leaves covered with tiny hairs that have sticky glands on their tips. These plants form a flat, round shape called a rosette, which can be 6 to 15 centimeters (about 2.5 to 6 inches) wide.
The stalks of the leaves are about 5 millimeters wide and are smooth. The leaf blades themselves are long and narrow, like lines. They can be 1 to 6 centimeters long and 1.5 to 3 millimeters wide. The edges of these leaves are lined with hair-like glands, which are super sticky!
The plant also grows flower stalks, called scapes, that are smooth and 6 to 13 centimeters long. At the end of these stalks, you'll find 1 to 4 white flowers. Each flower is about 6 to 8 millimeters wide and has petals shaped like an upside-down egg.
After the flowers bloom, they produce seed capsules that are 4 to 5 millimeters long. When these capsules are ready, they release black seeds. These seeds are tiny, only 0.5 to 0.8 millimeters long, and have a unique shape. They are covered with many small pits, like tiny craters. The plant has 20 chromosomes in its cells.
Where Does the Slenderleaf Sundew Live?
The slenderleaf sundew mostly lives around the Great Lakes. You can also find some groups of these plants scattered in western Canada and the maritime provinces. It's quite rare in most places, but it can be common in certain special habitats.
This plant prefers to grow in remote peat-lands. These are wet, boggy areas in places like northwestern and north-central Minnesota. It needs "minerotrophic water," which means the water it grows in gets its nutrients from groundwater or nearby higher ground.
Because it's rare and needs very specific places to grow, the slenderleaf sundew is listed as a threatened species in Minnesota. This means it's important to protect its habitats so these unique plants can continue to thrive.
See Also
In Spanish: Drosera linearis para niños
