Drosera auriculata
Common name
sundew
Synonyms
Drosera circinervia Colenso, D. stylosa Colenso, Drosera peltata subsp. auriculata ( Planch. ) B.J.Conn
Family
Droseraceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
DROAUR
Chromosome number
2n = 32
Current conservation status
The threat classification status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2017 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: By Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, John W. Barkla, Shannel P. Courtney, Paul D. Champion, Leon R. Perrie, Sarah M. Beadel, Kerry A. Ford, Ilse Breitwieser, Ines Schönberger, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Peter B. Heenan and Kate Ladley. Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – a suggested threat classification status has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Distribution
Indigenous. North and South Islands to about south Canterbury, northern Otago and south Westland/ Present in Australia
Habitat
Coastal to montane, on recently exposed and naturally open ground, clay pans, in low scrub, on lava. Often abundant following fire.
Wetland plant indicator status rating
Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland).
FAC: Facultative
Commonly occurs as either a hydrophyte or non-hydrophyte (non-wetlands).
Features
Tuberous herb. Plants usually olive-green in exposed locations, rarely richly maroon; tuber ovoid to globose, up to 10 × 8 mm; surface white to red, often in a papery sheath; vertical stolon 20–80 mm long. Stem erect, usually simple, sometimes shortly branched, 90–600 mm long, glabrous. Leaves often in a flat basal rosette and cauline; basal leaves 4–19, the lamina ovate, elliptic, orbicular or reniform, 1.8–3.5 × 2–6 mm wide on a linear petiole 5.0–17.0 × 1.2 mm wide; 9–36 cauline leaves alternate, the lamina crescentic, 1.5–5.5 × 2.0–5.5 mm, with acute angles, on petiole 3–23 mm long. Inflorescence a 1-sided raceme 2–14-flowered; peduncle usually 6–50 mm long, but up to 80 mm; pedicels 1–14 mm long. Sepals 2.0–6.0 × 0.9–2.6 mm, ovate, elliptic and rarely obovate, glabrous with an entire to irregularly serrulate margin. Petals 3.0–10.0 × 1.5–5 mm, white or pink, obovate, cuneate, apex emarginate, sometimes obtuse and rarely truncate. Styles 3, 0.6–1.4 mm long, divided into a total of c.15–30 cylindrical segments. Seeds 0.8–1.6 mm long, cylindrical with a shallowly reticulated surface.
Similar taxa
Drosera auriculata could only be confused only with D. hookeri, with which it often grows in Northland and from which it differs by the glabrous rather than hairy sepals and cylindrical rather than ovoid to arachniform (i.e. peanut-shaped) shallowly reticulated seeds (rather than deeply pitted seeds) which are > 1 mm long, rather than 0.5-8.0 mm long. Sometimes the seeds of Drosera hookeri can be cylindrical, and so a little like those of D. auriculata, but in these cases they can be distinguished from D. auriculata by their smaller size and deeply pitted testa.
Flowering
September - February
Flower colours
Red/Pink, Violet/Purple
Fruiting
October - April
Propagation technique
Can be grown in pots from seed or from the small overwintering bulbils. Quite easily grown in this way. In suitable conditions it can naturalise itself.
Etymology
drosera: Dewy
auriculata: Small-eared
Where To Buy
Not commercially available.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (22 March 2012). Description adapted from Gibson et al. (2012).
References and further reading
Gibson, R.; Conn, B.J.; Bruhl, J.J. 2012: Morphological evaluation of the Drosera peltata complex (Droseraceae). Australian Systematic Botany 25: 49-80.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Drosera auriculata Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/drosera-auriculata/ (Date website was queried)