Carnivorous Plant Seeds - Drosera nitidula - Australian Insectivorous Sundew

Drosera nitidula Seeds

Carnivorous Sundew

Sundews leaves are usually flat with hundreds of tentacles which hold a gland that produces the dew. The dew is very thick and sticky. When an insect gets stuck to some dew, more tentacles move in to get their dew covered glands against the insect to keep it from escaping. The glands on top of the tentacles then secrete acids and enzymes which dissolve the insect. The glands then re-absorb the nutrient rich fluid. Drosera nitidula is an insectivorous plant that can survive in nitrogen poor soils because it gets the nutrients it needs from insects. The upper surfaces of the leaves are covered with hairs that secrete a sweet sticky substance. This attracts insects, which become smeared with it and unable to escape. The plant then exudes a digestive fluid that enables it to absorb most of the insect into its system. The leaves, curl around any captured prey like a fist. Drosera nitidula is native to southwest Australia that has a Mediterranean climate with warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters. Fun & educational!