Drosera stolonifera subsp. monticola
Encyclopedia
Drosera stolonifera subsp. monticola, invalidly referred to as Drosera monticola, is a perennial
carnivorous plant
subspecies in the genus Drosera, the sundew
s. This specific subspecies is endemic to a single mountain range in Western Australia
.
D. stolonifera subsp. monticola is a small herbaceous
plant, usually growing from 2 to 7 centimeters tall. Like other members of its section
, the habit
of the taxon widely differs between the flowering and non-flowering forms that the plant takes in its life cycle. It is tuber
ous, producing bright red, globose tubers some six millimeters in diameter. Like other Drosera, the leaves of this taxon are reddish and circular, covered in carnivorous glands that allow it to capture and digest various types of arthropod
s. The reddish leaves grow in whorls around the erect stems of the plant. Unlike some members of the genus, the circular leaves of D. stolonifera subsp. monticola are incapable of folding onto any prey that they catch. The flowering form of this taxon blooms from October to November, producing a glabrous raceme
with terminal pink flowers. However, it also reproduces asexually by forming colonies. The mature seeds of the plant remain undescribed and unknown.
This subspecies is entirely endemic to the summits of Toolbrunup Peak
and Bluff Knoll
in the Stirling Range National Park
, a range of mountains in Southwestern Australia
. It is specifically limited to extremely high elevations, such as the cloud-lines of the mountain summits in its range. In these environments, it can only be found in winter-wet loamy soils collecting on ledges and depressions. While its discoverers have stated that the taxon can probably be found on the summits of other mountains within the Stirling Range, actual specimens have only been collected from the two peaks previously mentioned.
It was first formally described as a subspecies of D. stolonifera
by Allen Lowrie
and N. G. Marchant
in 1992. The type specimen was collected from the summit of Toolbrunup Peak, and labeled PERTH 02642964. In a 2005 journal article, Lowrie elevated the subspecies to the species level as Drosera monticola but did not properly cite the basionym
of the proposed species, making the new scientific name invalid according to Article 33.4 of the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature. The taxon thus formally remains a subspecies of Drosera stolonifera
for the time being.
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...
carnivorous plant
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...
subspecies in the genus Drosera, 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...
s. This specific subspecies is endemic to a single mountain range in 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...
.
D. stolonifera subsp. monticola is a small herbaceous
Herbaceous
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...
plant, usually growing from 2 to 7 centimeters tall. Like other members of its section
Section (botany)
In botany, a section is a taxonomic rank below the genus, but above the species. The subgenus, if present, is higher than the section, and the rank of series, if present, is below the section. Sections are typically used to help organise very large genera, which may have hundreds of species...
, the habit
Habit (biology)
Habit, when used in the context of biology, refers to the instinctive actions of animals and the natural tendencies of plants.In zoology, this term most often refers to specific behavioral characteristics, even when directly related to physiology...
of the taxon widely differs between the flowering and non-flowering forms that the plant takes in its life cycle. It is tuber
Tuber
Tubers are various types of modified plant structures that are enlarged to store nutrients. They are used by plants to survive the winter or dry months and provide energy and nutrients for regrowth during the next growing season and they are a means of asexual reproduction...
ous, producing bright red, globose tubers some six millimeters in diameter. Like other Drosera, the leaves of this taxon are reddish and circular, covered in carnivorous glands that allow it to capture and digest various types of arthropod
Arthropod
An arthropod is an invertebrate animal having an exoskeleton , a segmented body, and jointed appendages. Arthropods are members of the phylum Arthropoda , and include the insects, arachnids, crustaceans, and others...
s. The reddish leaves grow in whorls around the erect stems of the plant. Unlike some members of the genus, the circular leaves of D. stolonifera subsp. monticola are incapable of folding onto any prey that they catch. The flowering form of this taxon blooms from October to November, producing a glabrous 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...
with terminal pink flowers. However, it also reproduces asexually by forming colonies. The mature seeds of the plant remain undescribed and unknown.
This subspecies is entirely endemic to the summits of Toolbrunup Peak
Toolbrunup
Toolbrunup is the second highest peak in the Stirling Ranges of Australia. The walk to the summit of Toolbrunup is often regarded as the best in the Stirling Ranges. The views from the summit are excellent, the many dramatic rocky outcrops provide spectacular scenery.Toolbrunup is made from...
and Bluff Knoll
Bluff Knoll
Bluff Knoll is a peak in the Stirling Range in the south-west of Western Australia . It is above sea level, and is one of only a few places to experience regular snowfalls in Western Australia, with some snow reported in most years. The last heavy snowfall was on 6 October 1992 when...
in the Stirling Range National Park
Stirling Range National Park
Stirling Range National Park is a national park in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, approximately 337 km south-east of Perth.-Description:...
, a range of mountains in Southwestern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is specifically limited to extremely high elevations, such as the cloud-lines of the mountain summits in its range. In these environments, it can only be found in winter-wet loamy soils collecting on ledges and depressions. While its discoverers have stated that the taxon can probably be found on the summits of other mountains within the Stirling Range, actual specimens have only been collected from the two peaks previously mentioned.
It was first formally described as a subspecies of D. stolonifera
Drosera stolonifera
Drosera stolonifera, sometimes referred to as the leafy sundew, is a tuberous perennial species in the genus Drosera that is endemic to Western Australia. It produces 2 to 3 semi-erect lateral stems that grow 10 to 15 cm long. It is most closely related to D. purpurascens, but differs by...
by 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...
and N. G. Marchant
N. G. Marchant
Neville Graeme Marchant is a retired Western Australian botanist. He was formerly the Director of the Western Australian Herbarium.Marchant began working for the Western Australian Herbarium at the age of 15, as a laboratory assistant to Government Botanist Charles Gardner. Later he attended the...
in 1992. The type specimen was collected from the summit of Toolbrunup Peak, and labeled PERTH 02642964. In a 2005 journal article, Lowrie elevated the subspecies to the species level as Drosera monticola but did not properly cite the basionym
Basionym
Basionym is a term used in botany, regulated by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature...
of the proposed species, making the new scientific name invalid according to Article 33.4 of the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature. The taxon thus formally remains a subspecies of Drosera stolonifera
Drosera stolonifera
Drosera stolonifera, sometimes referred to as the leafy sundew, is a tuberous perennial species in the genus Drosera that is endemic to Western Australia. It produces 2 to 3 semi-erect lateral stems that grow 10 to 15 cm long. It is most closely related to D. purpurascens, but differs by...
for the time being.