Drosera natalensis
South Africa
Plants
(pictures will be updated)
Drosera natalensis is a common species in cultivation. It is found in Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and Mpumalanga.
Etymology: Drosera from Greek droseros ‘dewy’1. Natalensis means 'from Natal', refering to KwaZulu-Natal, the coastal South African province2.
The plant forms a rosette of leaves that look a lot like other species, like D. spatulata or D. tokaiensis. The base of the leaf is a bit broader than the other species. The plant grows to about 4 cm (1.8 inches) in diameter. When mature it produces flowers constantly.
Flowers
The flowers of D. natalensis are a soft pink colour. The 5 petals of the flower don't fully connect near the base, causing a bit of the green sepal to be visible.
The pistil is divided in 5 individual styles, which usually have a stigma that's forked. They point away from the centre of the flower. The stamen are slightly shorter than the styles and are located in the middle of the flower
Every flower only stays open for a few hours and they are self-polinating. They react to light intensity, so the may close during overcast hours and open again later the same day.
The seedpods turn brown when ripe. Most species have a black seedpod, so this is a good indicator.
Note the brown seedpods, contrary to the more common black ones.
Seeds
D. natalensis produces a lot of seeds per pod. The seeds have a pointy oval shape and have long ridges lengthways. One end of the seed is very pointy, while the other and is more flattened. They are about 0.5 mm in length.
