Round-leaved sundew
Drosera rotundifolia
Round-leaved sundew (Drosera rotundifolia) is one of Britain's native carnivorous plants. It traps its prey using sticky tentacles, which slowly fold in and trap the insect, in a process that can take up to 20 minutes. There are over 100 species of Drosera found in peat bogs and marshland in all climatic zones of the world, ranging from Canadian arctic regions to tropical Brazil.
The leaves of round-leaved sundew are covered in red 'tentacles' that produce a sticky substance called mucilage, often seen glistening in the dewy morning. These sticky tentacles not only give this plant its common name, but also enable it to trap insects.
When an insect is caught on the sticky plant, the tentacles slowly fold in and trap it; a process that can take up to 20 minutes. The plant then starts digesting the insect using enzymes.
Drosera rotundifolia has evolved this carnivorous lifestyle in response to its nutrient-poor habitat - cool boggy areas of mountainous regions.
Like other temperate Drosera, round-leaved sundew lie dormant during winter. In Scotland, autumn sees a change in the plant’s growth, with a slowing of carnivorous leaf production and the bud of the plant being protected by smaller foliage.
These stems insulate the dormant bud over winter, so the plant is ready to regrow in spring, when it starts to wait for unwary insects to trap. Later in summer the white or pink flowers bloom at the top of the hairless, red stems.
Round-leaved sundew
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