Dissolution under Pink. Drosera capensis, Cape Sundew, Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
A few days ago, the media reported the discovery in Minas Gerais - Ah! What a Tolkien-sounding name - in southeastern Brazil of a Giant Sundew, Drosera magnifica. Apparently it can grow up to 1.5 metres high, almost as tall as a human being! Just imagine being caught up in its glittering viscous drops of sweet digestive fluid. A nightmare worthy of Frodo and his encounter with Shelob - evil in spider form - at Cirith Ungol leading to the land of Mordor.
But here on a much smaller scale is very pretty and elegant Cape Sundew, Drosera capensis. Johannes Burman (1707-1780), who wrote about plants from the Moluccas, Sri Lanka and the Cape Colony of South Africa, waxes elequent about Drosera's hues: 'elegantis purpurei sunt coloris'. This Sundew's flower blossoms 30 cm above a rosette from which spring those pin-sticky leaves that ensnare insects out for Sweets. Once caught, dissolution and digestion are quick upon our little fliers: all in all they're dissolved in about half an hour. You can just see the dark remnants of a small beastie in the lower left hand corner of this photo.
Dissolution under Pink. Drosera capensis, Cape Sundew, Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
A few days ago, the media reported the discovery in Minas Gerais - Ah! What a Tolkien-sounding name - in southeastern Brazil of a Giant Sundew, Drosera magnifica. Apparently it can grow up to 1.5 metres high, almost as tall as a human being! Just imagine being caught up in its glittering viscous drops of sweet digestive fluid. A nightmare worthy of Frodo and his encounter with Shelob - evil in spider form - at Cirith Ungol leading to the land of Mordor.
But here on a much smaller scale is very pretty and elegant Cape Sundew, Drosera capensis. Johannes Burman (1707-1780), who wrote about plants from the Moluccas, Sri Lanka and the Cape Colony of South Africa, waxes elequent about Drosera's hues: 'elegantis purpurei sunt coloris'. This Sundew's flower blossoms 30 cm above a rosette from which spring those pin-sticky leaves that ensnare insects out for Sweets. Once caught, dissolution and digestion are quick upon our little fliers: all in all they're dissolved in about half an hour. You can just see the dark remnants of a small beastie in the lower left hand corner of this photo.