A member of the phylum Pluchea, which includes the potato family, Drosera is among the biggest genera of carnivorous plants. It has a tubular, ovular, or an elongated shape. The leaves are alternate and short or fleshy. The flowers are a single long flower stem whose white petals appear to curl upward. Drosera grows in moist tropical forests in different countries.
The name Drosera comes from a Greek word, Drosura, meaning sunflower. The sunflower like features found in Drosera species were first noticed by the ancient Greeks, who considered them to be members of their group of night-shade flowers. They were soon identified and shown to be members of the lily family Liliaceae. Some varieties of this sudden have become hybrids with other members of the same family. Some even grow in wet forests in Africa, Asia and Europe.
The Drosera species is classified as a banyan, which means that it grows in bunches. The flowers are large, up to two feet tall and about three inches across. There are alternate pink and white bands on the inflorescence. The fleshy roots start out in the center of the flowers. The tubular leaves have rounded tips and dark green shades. There are no flowers, but drosera does bear fruit, blooming in late summer.
There are approximately 180 known species of Drosera. Most are grown in gardens as part of a vegetable garden, while some are grown for their edible fruit. This carnivorous plant family contains three basic members: Drosera pepo, Drosera marginata and Drosera caespitosa. Each has six subspecies, each native to specific climates. Some of these have yellow, gold and red leaves, while others have other colors.
The Drosera pepo originates in northeast Brazil. The leaves are dark green, leathery and velvety, and it grows on the undersides of trees. In the southern part of the country, the Drosera marginata and Drosera caespitosa are most common. The leaves are cream colored and contain many fine hairs. This species can survive both cold and summer in north America.
In order for your Drosera plants to grow healthy and well, you must take care of them properly. Since they lack a true leaf mass, they rely on their other senses, most notably pollination by bees and insects. Flowers will not grow unless there are healthy plants nearby that absorb the necessary nutrients. Some kinds of Drosera can also make use of the services of birds in order to pollinate their plants.
Some of the most popular types of Drosera are those that feature the beautiful flowers of the Drosera racemosa genus, including the drosera filiformis. It is the rarest species of its genus, and has a long history in cultivation. The plant grows only at elevations between two hundred and two thousand meters, where it can access sunlight as well as shade. At higher elevations, some of the other flowers of this genus may blooms. These include the maroon, purple, white and black maroon, and the orange, yellow and cream maroon.
Other varieties of Drosera are quite easy to grow in the wilds of south Africa. These include the Drosera hederica, Drosera sumatrai and the flowering Drosera alta. All these plants are native to the southern part of Africa and, thus, can be found in a number of locations. Some species of these plants have become hybrids with other species as well, and they are known collectively as the Drosophila species. There are a number of tropical plants that belong to the Drosera genus, and these include the Cattleyea, Hyoscyamus Niger, Scripus acuts, Oenathe sarmentosa, Paphiopedilum polypomosum, Metabolicarpus spicata and the Euterpe oleifera. In recent times, there have been introductions of some new species from south Africa into the wilds, and these include species such as the Hypanthus fulva, which has become very popular in aquariums; the schoenoprasum, an aesthetically pleasing plant with yellow flowers; and the Pterocarpus santalinus, a common ground cover found in southern parts of Africa.