Giant sundew facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Giant sundew |
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| The giant sundew, Drosera gigantea | |
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| Scientific classification | |
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Drosera
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| Species: |
gigantea
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| Where D. gigantea grows in the wild | |
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The Drosera gigantea, also known as the giant sundew, is a very special plant. It is a carnivorous plant, which means it eats insects! This plant grows upright and can live for many years. It has a tuber (a swollen underground stem) and is found only in Western Australia.
The giant sundew grows in sandy soils. You can often find it near swamps or rocky areas along the coast. Its home stretches from Albany in the south up to just below Geraldton.
D. gigantea has small, shield-shaped leaves. These leaves grow along many side branches, making the plant look like a tiny tree. Some of these plants can grow quite tall, from about 0.2 to 1 meter (0.7 to 3.3 feet). Because it grows so tall and looks like a tree, it is one of the biggest Drosera species.
It's also a plant that is easy to grow in special plant houses called greenhouses. It likes places that are damp and humid. White flowers bloom on the plant from August to November. The tubers of this plant are red and can grow up to 3.8 centimeters (1.5 inches) wide. They can even be found a meter (3.3 feet) deep underground!
Discovery and Types
The giant sundew was first described and named by a person named John Lindley. He did this in 1839 in his book, A sketch of the vegetation of the Swan River Colony.
Later, in 1992, two other scientists, N. G. Marchant and Allen Lowrie, found a new type of this plant. They called it D. gigantea subsp. geniculata. This subspecies grows to about 0.45 meters (1.5 feet) tall. It is found in black sandy soils near Perth and areas to its south.
Special Chemicals
Scientists have found some interesting natural chemicals in the shoots of D. gigantea. These include substances like naphthoquinone, glucosides, droserone, hydroxydroserone, and plumbagin. It is believed that the glucosides are what give the plant its brown color.
See also
In Spanish: Drosera gigantea para niños
