Plants of South Eastern New South Wales

Drosera peltata

Flower. Photographer Mike Sim, Callum Brae Nature Reserve, ACT

Flowering stems. Photographer Don Wood, Bomaderry Creek Regional Reserve near Nowra

Common name

Pale sundew, Sundew

Family

Droseraceae

Where found

Forest, woodland, heath, grassy areas, alpine herbfields, moist situations, and in or near alpine or subalpine bogs. Widespread.

Notes

Perennial herb to 0.5 m high, rhizomatous. Stem hairless, usually threadlike, unbranched or branching from the base. Leaves usually in a flat basal rosette, and alternating up the stems or clustered in groups of 2–6, upper surface covered with glandular hairs that trap insects. Basal leaves turn red, 0.4–0.7 cm long, 2-10 mm wide, round or spoon-shaped to fan-shaped, sometimes peltate, often persistent till the late flowering stage. Stem leaves 0.3–2 cm long, 1–5 mm wide, roundish with 2 pointed lobes, peltate. Flowers with 5 white petals each 2.5–5 mm long. Sepals dark, densely hairy, the margins fringed with glandular hairs, 0.1–1.5 mm wide. Flowers in 2–10-flowered clusters, on one side of the stem. Flowering: most of the year.

Often difficult to distinguish from Drosera hookeri, a more robust plant, the basal leaves of which remain green. Microscopic examination of the seeds may be needed.

All native plants on unleased land in the ACT are protected.

Rare Vic.

PlantNET description:  http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Drosera~peltata  (accessed 12 January, 2021)