Great Sundew: loched away -


The name of great sundew (Drosera anglica) may lead you to think that it is a large plant but its not. It is however, greater than our other two sundews, the round leaved and the oblong leaved. It is the stem that gives it the height as the leaves form a rosette around the base of the stem. On the great sundew the flower stem can grow to around 6 inches tall against its cousins who grow to around 4 inches at the most.

The great sundew has larger but narrower leaves than the other two and the leaves taper towards the plant to give the appearance that they are on stalks. The small white flowers appear in July and August.

An insectivorous plant of course that is more common in the west of Scotland than in Dorset where it is quite rare on our wet heaths. In Scotland it favours both wet moorland and the gravelly edges of lochs where, of course, it has plenty of midges to feed on! The scientific name anglica, however, means English which is a little strange given that Scotland seems to be its stronghold. 


 

 


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