Tiny Annual D. anglica

[FrankenSnyder]

Last year I raised up the pictured generation of a Drosera anglica complex cross which includes the small alpine var. pusilla and tropical Hawaiian. One plant began forming a flower after its eighth leaf. It put all its energy into making one flower, setting seed, and died. I am now raising up offspring of this cute smallest plant.

Below is a link to an article which tells more about D. anglica var. pusilla.
Drosera anglica var. pusilla/ D. kihlmanii

 

[FrankenSnyder]

Update
I’ve got this one planted on yucky looking soil from a marsh in my neighborhood park, growing very well. It is now forming a flower stalk, with two flower buds. Good to have a fast maturing sundew to do experiments with. A sundew “Fast Plant”, as such experimentation plants are called.

 

[bluemax]

Flowers on the eighth leaf is certainly unusual. Have all of the progeny been short-lived?

 

[FrankenSnyder]

They differ. One of this generation was so small the flower aborted. The one pictured grew larger before beginning flower. I hope to keep it going after flowering.

 

[FrankenSnyder]

Update
It continued growing and is now making a stalk with three flowers. I got seed from the first flower stalk and have started another generation. I have also started more from leaf cuttings.

Big Idea:
I have a theory that the Hawaiian sundew came from something like this originating in Southern California. There are a number of other plants native to both places which rode the ocean current to Hawaii. An earlier theory suggests the sundew came from Alaska, hitching a ride on seafowl. Such as the Golden Plover, a shoreline bird. Seems to me that would mean the sundew started out growing in marshes close to the shoreline, in both places. Anyway, fun to think about.

 

[bluemax]

Lovely little plant!

 

[FrankenSnyder]

I’m starting to really like this one. Single big flower on a short stalk.