Painted sundew facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Painted sundew |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Drosera
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| Species: |
zonaria
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The Drosera zonaria, also known as the painted sundew, is a special type of carnivorous plant. It's a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. This plant grows from a tuber, which is a fleshy underground storage organ, similar to a potato.
The painted sundew is found only in the southwestern part of Western Australia. You can find it growing from near Perth all the way southeast to Esperance.
Contents
What Does the Painted Sundew Look Like?
This unique plant grows in a tight, flat circle called a rosette. This rosette is usually about 5 to 7 centimeters (about 2 to 3 inches) wide. It has 20 to 30 leaves that are green, but can turn reddish. These leaves are arranged in layers, like a stack of pancakes.
The leaves are typically about 1 centimeter (less than half an inch) wide. They are often described as "kidney-shaped" and have bright crimson (deep red) edges.
Where Does It Live?
Drosera zonaria likes to grow in deep, sandy soil that's rich in silica. You can find it in open woodlands or in coastal heathland areas. These are places with lots of low-growing shrubs and open spaces.
How Does It Grow and Flower?
Like many other sundew species that grow from tubers, D. zonaria has a clever way to survive the dry summer months. When the weather gets hot and dry, the plant dies back above ground. It then retreats to its fleshy tuber, which is buried deep underground, usually 10 to 30 centimeters (4 to 12 inches) below the surface. This tuber helps the plant store water and nutrients until the next growing season.
One of the most interesting things about D. zonaria is when it flowers. It usually only blooms after a bush fire has swept through its habitat. Scientists think this might be because fires release a gas called ethylene, which triggers the plant to flower.
When it does flower, it produces white, sweet-smelling blooms. These flowers look very similar to those of another sundew, D. erythrorhiza. The flowers grow on tall stems called scapes, which are about 4 to 5 centimeters (1.5 to 2 inches) tall.
A Rare Sight: The Story of Its Discovery
Drosera zonaria flowers so rarely that very few botanists have ever seen it happen! It was first officially described in 1848 by a botanist named Jules Émile Planchon. However, it wasn't seen flowering until 1954, which was 106 years later!
The plant was first collected by James Drummond near the Swan River Colony. But the specimens he found were just two rosettes without flowers. Because of this, for many years, botanists weren't sure if it was a unique species or just a different form of another plant.
For example, in 1864, George Bentham wondered if Drummond's plants were actually Drosera rosulata. Later, in the 1930s, other botanists like Ludwig Diels and Charles Austin Gardner didn't even include D. zonaria in their discussions of the genus. Even the original plant used to describe the species (called the type specimen) was mistakenly labeled as D. erythrorhiza at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Finally, in 1952, M. C. Russell rediscovered the species near Guildford. And then, in May 1954, he was the first person in over a century to see it in flower! Even by 1968, when Rica Erickson wrote her book Plants of Prey in Australia, no other flowering specimen of D. zonaria had been found. This shows just how rare and special it is to see this plant in bloom.
See also
In Spanish: Drosera zonaria para niños
