Cape Sundew

Appearance

''D. capensis'' produces strap-like leaves, up to 3.5 cm long and 0.5 cm wide, which, as in all sundews, are covered in brightly coloured tentacles which secrete a sticky mucilage that traps arthropods. When insects are first trapped, the leaves roll lengthwise by thigmotropism toward the center. This aids digestion by bringing more digestive glands in contact with the prey. This movement is surprisingly fast, with completion in thirty minutes. The plant has a tendency to retain the dead leaves of previous seasons, and the main stem of the plant can become quite long and woody with time.

Naming

''Drosera capensis'' is listed on the New Zealand National Pest Plant Accord due to it being classified as an invasive species in that country.

Reproduction

In early summer or late spring, ''D. capensis'' produces multiple, small, five-petaled pink flowers at the end of scapes which can be up to 30 cm tall. Flowers individually open in the morning and close by mid afternoon, lasting just one day each with the next one up the scape opening the following day; the lower ones on the scape can thus be open or "past" while the ones at the top are still forming. The flowers can self-pollinate upon closing and produce copious quantities of very small, spindle-shaped seeds, which are released from the capsules that form when the flowers have died. Under horticultural conditions, carnivorous plant enthusiasts find that these seeds have a tendency to find their way into neighbouring plant pots where they germinate readily, giving ''D. capensis'' a reputation as a weed.