A small carnivorous plant with sticky red glandular hairs that trap small insects. Round leaves rosette around a central crown.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
Drosera rotundifolia, the round-leaved sundew, roundleaf sundew, or common sundew, is a species of carnivorous flowering plant that grows in bogs, marshes and fens. One of the most widespread sundew species, it has a circumboreal distribution, being found in almost all of Europe, all of Siberia, large parts of North America, Korea and Japan but is also found as far south as eastern China, the Philippines, and into the Southern Hemisphere in New Guinea.
Source: Wikipedia — Drosera rotundifolia Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Small rosette plant; round leaves covered with reddish sticky tentacles; small white flowers on tall stalks.
Similar species. Other Drosera species (different leaf shapes).
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. N/A — photosynthesis
Behavior. Carnivorous bog plant. Tentacle-like leaves with sticky drops trap small insects, then digest them for nutrients in nutrient-poor habitats.
§ Range
Across northern and Appalachian wetlands
§ Habitat
Sphagnum bogs, wet sandy areas
§ Threats
Bog drainage, peat mining.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the roundleaf sundew is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Support bog conservation. Don't harvest wild plants.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Drosera rotundifolia
- www.nwf.org — authoritative profile of Drosera rotundifolia
- iNaturalist · taxon 51294
- IUCN Red List — search for Drosera rotundifolia
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Drosera rotundifolia
§ Sources cited
- International Carnivorous Plant Society
