Range: southwest coastal Australia, north of Perth

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Named for the slender, spindle-tip shape of the stigmas, this pygmy sundew is restricted to a near-coastal region, growing within nearly permanently moist depressions and swamplands with deep white-sand soils. Plants reach up to almost 2 cm in diameter, developing stems up to 1 cm tall supporting a flat rosette of paddle leaves. Petioles are slender and slightly tapered, thickest at the base, and generally glabrous. Lamina are orbicular and slightly cup-shaped, with notably lengthy marginal tentacles at their ends. Coloration is typically green petioles with crimson lamina, occasionally blushing up the petiole as well. Inflorescences may reach up to 10 cm tall, sparsely covered in glandular hairs in the base and slightly denser on the peduncle and bearing up to 12 blooms. Flowers reach approximately 1.5 cm in diameter, with slender to broadly obovate petals that are white or very pale pink with a large red blotch at the central base of each petal. This species can be distinguished from its relatives by the relatively large size of that red blotch, white slender stigmas, bristly ovoid stipule bud in dormancy, and grayish colored seeds.

 

Cultivation: grow is a deep pot in a 3:1 sand/peat mix, kept moderately to very moist but well-drained and in temperatures of 45-70°F during the winter growing season. In summer allow temperatures and photoperiod to increase but avoid drying out as dormant plants can be difficult to reawaken. Sow seeds or gemmae on the soil surface (seeds may require hot stratification or chemical scarification to germinate), and grow in strong artificial light to full sun.

 

Lifespan and reproduction: short-lived perennial. Reproduces by gemmae and occasional seeds, and may possibly be propagated via leaf pullings.

 

Sources: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/143168645 Hugo Innes under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Lowrie et al. (2017). Drosera of the World Vol. 2. Redfern Natural History Publications.