Drosera paradoxa
Encyclopedia
Drosera paradoxa is a carnivorous plant
in the genus Drosera and is endemic to the Northern Territory
and Western Australia
. It is a perennial
herb
with a woody stem that can grow as tall as 30 cm (11.8 in). The leaves on the single terminal rosette
are erect or horizontal (with age) and held at the end of linear
petioles
, which are typically 20–35 mm long at flowering time. The carnivorous leaves are sub-orbicular
and small at 2.5-3 mm wide and 2–3 mm long. Inflorescence
s are 20–40 cm (7.9–15.7 in) long with pink or white flowers being produced on 50- to 70-flowered crowded raceme
s from July to September during the dry season.
Drosera paradoxa is found in skeletal sandy soils over sandstone in or along the banks of seasonally dry creeks or in sandstone cracks. During the wet season from March to April, its habitat is typically flooded with fast-flowing water. Drosera paradoxa is native to the west and north coasts of the Kimberley region inland to Beverley Springs, Western Australia and east to Arnhem Land
and Kakadu National Park
in the Northern Territory.
It was first described by Australian botanist Allen Lowrie
in a 1997 issue of Nuytsia
, the journal of the Western Australian Herbarium
. Early field observations of this species were initially confusing, which is the source of this species' specific epithet, paradoxa. Some populations seemed to be annual
with new seedlings replacing the mature, woody plants that had existed there the previous year. Other populations had no woody stems, while others were tall and mature. Several trips into the field from 1993 to 1997 were required to reveal these different forms to be only stages in this species' perennial growth cycle from seedling to pincushion basal rosette to erect woody-stemmed specimen. The type specimen
was collected on 1 August 1996 near Wren Creek on the road to Pantijan on a tributary of Bachsten Creek in Western Australia.
Lowrie assessed this species' conservation status
as common and not under threat in 1997. It is closely related to D. petiolaris
, but differs from that species most notably by its tall woody stem whereas D. petiolaris forms clumps of many basal rosettes from a common perennial rootstock.
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...
in the genus Drosera and is endemic to the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
and Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. It is a perennial
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
herb
Herbaceous plant
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
with a woody stem that can grow as tall as 30 cm (11.8 in). The leaves on the single terminal rosette
Rosette (botany)
In botany, a rosette is a circular arrangement of leaves, with all the leaves at a single height.Though rosettes usually sit near the soil, their structure is an example of a modified stem.-Function:...
are erect or horizontal (with age) and held at the end of linear
Leaf shape
In botany, leaf shape is characterised with the following terms :* Acicular : Slender and pointed, needle-like* Acuminate : Tapering to a long point...
petioles
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
, which are typically 20–35 mm long at flowering time. The carnivorous leaves are sub-orbicular
Leaf shape
In botany, leaf shape is characterised with the following terms :* Acicular : Slender and pointed, needle-like* Acuminate : Tapering to a long point...
and small at 2.5-3 mm wide and 2–3 mm long. 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 are 20–40 cm (7.9–15.7 in) long with pink or white flowers being produced on 50- to 70-flowered crowded raceme
Raceme
A raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called pedicels — along the axis. In botany, axis means a shoot, in this case one bearing the flowers. In a raceme, the oldest flowers are borne...
s from July to September during the dry season.
Drosera paradoxa is found in skeletal sandy soils over sandstone in or along the banks of seasonally dry creeks or in sandstone cracks. During the wet season from March to April, its habitat is typically flooded with fast-flowing water. Drosera paradoxa is native to the west and north coasts of the Kimberley region inland to Beverley Springs, Western Australia and east to Arnhem Land
Arnhem Land
The Arnhem Land Region is one of the five regions of the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located in the north-eastern corner of the territory and is around 500 km from the territory capital Darwin. The region has an area of 97,000 km² which also covers the area of Kakadu National...
and Kakadu National Park
Kakadu National Park
Kakadu National Park is in the Northern Territory of Australia, 171 km southeast of Darwin.Kakadu National Park is located within the Alligator Rivers Region of the Northern Territory of Australia. It covers an area of , extending nearly 200 kilometres from north to south and over 100 kilometres...
in the Northern Territory.
It was first described by Australian botanist Allen Lowrie
Allen Lowrie
Allen Lowrie is a West Australian botanist. He is living in Duncraig, a Perth suburb, is married and has two daughters.Lowrie, originally a businessman and inventor, got in contact with the carnivorous flora of western Australia in the late sixties and worked on it as an amateur...
in a 1997 issue of Nuytsia
Nuytsia (journal)
Nuytsia is a peer-reviewed journal published by the Western Australian Herbarium. It publishes papers on systematic botany, giving preference to papers related to the flora of Western Australia. Nearly twenty percent of Western Australia's plant taxa have been published in Nuytsia. First published...
, the journal of the Western Australian Herbarium
Western Australian Herbarium
The Western Australian Herbarium is the State Herbarium in Perth, Western Australia, Western Australia. It is part of the State government's Department of Environment and Conservation, and has responsibility for the description and documentation of the flora of Western Australia.The Herbarium is...
. Early field observations of this species were initially confusing, which is the source of this species' specific epithet, paradoxa. Some populations seemed to be annual
Annual plant
An annual plant is a plant that usually germinates, flowers, and dies in a year or season. True annuals will only live longer than a year if they are prevented from setting seed...
with new seedlings replacing the mature, woody plants that had existed there the previous year. Other populations had no woody stems, while others were tall and mature. Several trips into the field from 1993 to 1997 were required to reveal these different forms to be only stages in this species' perennial growth cycle from seedling to pincushion basal rosette to erect woody-stemmed specimen. The type specimen
Biological type
In biology, a type is one particular specimen of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached...
was collected on 1 August 1996 near Wren Creek on the road to Pantijan on a tributary of Bachsten Creek in Western Australia.
Lowrie assessed this species' conservation status
Conservation status
The conservation status of a group of organisms indicates whether the group is still extant and how likely the group is to become extinct in the near future...
as common and not under threat in 1997. It is closely related to D. petiolaris
Drosera petiolaris
Drosera petiolaris is a carnivorous plant in the genus Drosera and is the eponymous species of the petiolaris species complex, which mostly refers to the entire subgenus Lasiocephala...
, but differs from that species most notably by its tall woody stem whereas D. petiolaris forms clumps of many basal rosettes from a common perennial rootstock.
See also
- List of Drosera species
- Taxonomy of Drosera