Drosera intermedia
Encyclopedia
Drosera intermedia, commonly known as the oblong-leaved sundew or spoonleaf sundew, is an insectivorous plant
species belonging to the sundew
genus
. It is a temperate
or tropical species native to Europe
, southeastern Canada
, the eastern half of the United States
, Cuba
and northern South America
.
which forms a semi-erect stemless rosette of spatulate leaves up to 10 cm tall. Plants in temperate regions undergo dormancy
during which they form a winter resting bud called a hibernaculum
.
As is typical for sundew
s, the leaf blades are densely covered with stalked mucilagenous
glands which secrete a sugary nectar to attract insects. These then become ensnared by the mucilage and, unless they are strong enough to escape, are suffocated by the sticky goo or die from exhaustion. The plant then secretes digestive enzymes from sessile
glands and later absorbs the resulting nutrient solution to supplement the poor mineral nutrition of the plants natural environment.
D. intermedia blooms from June through August, forming up to 15 cm. tall inflorescence
s bearing 3-8 white flower
s. Fertilized ovaries swell to form egg-shaped dehiscent seed capsules which bear numerous tiny seeds.
(the others are D. rotundifolia
and D. anglica
). It is also found in eastern North America, Cuba
, and northern South America. The Cuban and South American forms are tropical and do not form hibernacula in the winter.
D. intermedia grows in constantly moist to wet bogs, fens, and marshes. It prefers nutrient free soils - such as sphagnum peat moss or sandy ground - and open, sunny habitats.
Carnivorous plant
Carnivorous plants are plants that derive some or most of their nutrients from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans, typically insects and other arthropods. Carnivorous plants appear adapted to grow in places where the soil is thin or poor in nutrients, especially nitrogen, such as acidic...
species belonging to the sundew
Sundew
Drosera, commonly known as the sundews, comprise one of the largest genera of carnivorous plants, with at least 194 species. These members of the family Droseraceae lure, capture, and digest insects using stalked mucilaginous glands covering their leaf surface. The insects are used to supplement...
genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
. It is a temperate
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
or tropical species native to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, southeastern Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the eastern half of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
and northern South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
Morphology
D. intermedia is a perennial herbHerb
Except in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...
which forms a semi-erect stemless rosette of spatulate leaves up to 10 cm tall. Plants in temperate regions undergo dormancy
Dormancy
Dormancy is a period in an organism's life cycle when growth, development, and physical activity are temporarily stopped. This minimizes metabolic activity and therefore helps an organism to conserve energy. Dormancy tends to be closely associated with environmental conditions...
during which they form a winter resting bud called a hibernaculum
Hibernaculum
Hibernaculum can refer to:* Hibernaculum , the location chosen by an animal for hibernation...
.
As is typical for sundew
Sundew
Drosera, commonly known as the sundews, comprise one of the largest genera of carnivorous plants, with at least 194 species. These members of the family Droseraceae lure, capture, and digest insects using stalked mucilaginous glands covering their leaf surface. The insects are used to supplement...
s, the leaf blades are densely covered with stalked mucilagenous
Mucilage
Mucilage is a thick, gluey substance produced by most plants and some microorganisms. It is a polar glycoprotein and an exopolysaccharide.It occurs in various parts of nearly all classes of plant, usually in relatively small percentages, and is frequently associated with other substances, such as...
glands which secrete a sugary nectar to attract insects. These then become ensnared by the mucilage and, unless they are strong enough to escape, are suffocated by the sticky goo or die from exhaustion. The plant then secretes digestive enzymes from sessile
Sessility (botany)
In botany, sessility is a characteristic of plants whose flowers or leaves are borne directly from the stem or peduncle, and thus lack a petiole or pedicel...
glands and later absorbs the resulting nutrient solution to supplement the poor mineral nutrition of the plants natural environment.
D. intermedia blooms from June through August, forming up to 15 cm. tall inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s bearing 3-8 white flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s. Fertilized ovaries swell to form egg-shaped dehiscent seed capsules which bear numerous tiny seeds.
Distribution and habitat
D. intermedia is one of the most widely distributed species in the genus, and one of only three Drosera species native to EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
(the others are D. rotundifolia
Drosera rotundifolia
Drosera rotundifolia is a species of sundew, a carnivorous plant often found in bogs, marshes and fens...
and D. anglica
Drosera anglica
Drosera anglica, commonly known as the English sundew or Great sundew, is a carnivorous plant species belonging to the sundew genus. It is a temperate species with a generally circumboreal range, although it does occur as far south as Japan, southern Europe, and the island of Kauai in Hawaii, where...
). It is also found in eastern North America, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, and northern South America. The Cuban and South American forms are tropical and do not form hibernacula in the winter.
D. intermedia grows in constantly moist to wet bogs, fens, and marshes. It prefers nutrient free soils - such as sphagnum peat moss or sandy ground - and open, sunny habitats.
