274 Species in Genus Drosera

What is drosera?

Drosera, commonly known as sundew, is a fascinating genus of carnivorous plants characterized by their sticky, glandular tentacles that attract, trap, and digest insects. I’ve always been captivated by their unique appearance and ingenious feeding mechanism, which sets them apart from other plants. In addition to their insect-catching abilities, some species of Drosera are also valued for their ornamental qualities, with delicate, jewel-like leaves that shimmer in the sunlight.

Drosera species

1. Drosera aberrans (Lowrie & Carlquist) Lowrie & Conran
2. Drosera acaulis L.f.
3. Drosera adelae F.Muell.
4. Drosera admirabilis Debbert
5. Drosera affinis Welw. ex Oliv.
6. Drosera alba E.Phillips
7. Drosera albonotata A.S.Rob., A.T.Cross, Meisterl & A.Fleischm.
8. Drosera aliciae Raym.-Hamet
9. Drosera allantostigma (N.G.Marchant & Lowrie) Lowrie & Conran
10. Drosera amazonica Rivadavia, A.Fleischm. & Vicent.
11. Drosera andersoniana Fitzg. ex Ewart & Jean White
12. Drosera androsacea Diels
13. Drosera anglica Huds.
14. Drosera aquatica Lowrie
15. Drosera arachnoides Rakotoar. & A.Fleischm.
16. Drosera arcturi Hook.
17. Drosera arenicola Steyerm.
18. Drosera ascendens A.St.-Hil.
19. Drosera atrata T.Krueger, A.Fleischm. & Bourke
20. Drosera atrostyla Debbert
21. Drosera aurantiaca Lowrie
22. Drosera auriculata Backh. ex Planch.
23. Drosera australis (N.G.Marchant & Lowrie) Lowrie & Conran
24. Drosera × badgerupii Cheek
25. Drosera × badgingarra Lowrie & Conran
26. Drosera banksii R.Br. ex DC.
27. Drosera barbigera Planch.
28. Drosera barrettiorum Lowrie
29. Drosera basifolia (N.G.Marchant & Lowrie) Lowrie
30. Drosera bequaertii Taton
31. Drosera bicolor Lowrie & Carlquist
32. Drosera biflora Willd. ex Schult.
33. Drosera binata Labill.
34. Drosera bindoon Lowrie
35. Drosera × bockowskii Scholl
36. Drosera brevicornis Lowrie
37. Drosera brevifolia Pursh
38. Drosera broomensis Lowrie
39. Drosera browniana Lowrie & N.G.Marchant
40. Drosera bulbigena Morrison
41. Drosera bulbosa Hook.
42. Drosera burkeana Planch.
43. Drosera burmanni Vahl
44. Drosera buubugujin M.T.Mathieson
45. Drosera caduca Lowrie
46. Drosera × californica Cheek
47. Drosera callistos N.G.Marchant & Lowrie
48. Drosera calycina Planch.
49. Drosera camporupestris Rivadavia
50. Drosera capensis L.
51. Drosera capillaris Poir.
52. Drosera × carbarup Lowrie & Conran
53. Drosera cayennensis Sagot ex Diels
54. Drosera cendeensis Tamayo & Croizat
55. Drosera chimaera Gonella & Rivadavia
56. Drosera chrysolepis Taub.
57. Drosera cistiflora L.
58. Drosera citrina Lowrie & Carlquist
59. Drosera closterostigma N.G.Marchant & Lowrie
60. Drosera coalara Lowrie & Conran
61. Drosera coccipetala Debbert
62. Drosera collina (N.G.Marchant & Lowrie) Lowrie
63. Drosera collinsiae N.E.Br.
64. Drosera communis A.St.-Hil.
65. Drosera condor Gonella, A.Fleischm. & Rivadavia
66. Drosera coomallo Lowrie & Conran
67. Drosera × corinthiaca R.A.Gibson & E.Green
68. Drosera cucullata Lowrie
69. Drosera cuneifolia L.f.
70. Drosera curvipes Planch.
71. Drosera darwinensis Lowrie
72. Drosera depauperata Lowrie & Conran
73. Drosera derbyensis Lowrie
74. Drosera dichrosepala Turcz.
75. Drosera dielsiana Exell & J.R.Laundon
76. Drosera dilatatopetiolaris Kondô
77. Drosera drummondii Planch.
78. Drosera echinoblastus N.G.Marchant & Lowrie
79. Drosera × eloisiana T.S.Bailey
80. Drosera elongata Exell & J.R.Laundon
81. Drosera eneabba N.G.Marchant & Lowrie
82. Drosera enodes N.G.Marchant & Lowrie
83. Drosera eremaea (N.G.Marchant & Lowrie) Lowrie & Conran
84. Drosera ericgreenii A.Fleischm., R.P.Gibson & Rivadavia
85. Drosera erythrogyne N.G.Marchant & Lowrie
86. Drosera erythrorhiza Lindl.
87. Drosera esmeraldae (Steyerm.) Maguire & Wurdack
88. Drosera esperensis Lowrie
89. Drosera esterhuyseniae (T.M.Salter) Debbert
90. Drosera falconeri Kondô & P.Tsang
91. Drosera felix Steyerm. & L.B.Sm.
92. Drosera filiformis Raf.
93. Drosera fimbriata DeBuhr
94. Drosera finlaysoniana Wall. ex Arn.
95. Drosera flexicaulis Welw. ex Oliv.
96. Drosera × fontinalis Rivadavia
97. Drosera fragrans Lowrie
98. Drosera fulva Planch.
99. Drosera geniculata (N.G.Marchant & Lowrie) Lowrie
100. Drosera gibsonii P.Mann
101. Drosera gigantea Lindl.
102. Drosera glabripes (Harv. ex Planch.) Stein
103. Drosera glabriscapa Lowrie
104. Drosera glanduligera Lehm.
105. Drosera gracilis Hook.f. ex Planch.
106. Drosera graminifolia A.St.-Hil.
107. Drosera graniticola N.G.Marchant
108. Drosera grantsaui Rivadavia
109. Drosera graomogolensis T.R.S.Silva
110. Drosera grievei Lowrie & N.G.Marchant
111. Drosera gunniana (Planch.) de Salas
112. Drosera hamiltonii C.R.P.Andrews
113. Drosera hartmeyerorum Schlauer
114. Drosera helodes N.G.Marchant & Lowrie
115. Drosera heterophylla Lindl.
116. Drosera hilaris Cham. & Schltdl.
117. Drosera hirsuta Lowrie & Conran
118. Drosera hirtella A.St.-Hil.
119. Drosera hirticalyx Duno de Stefano & Culham
120. Drosera hookeri R.P.Gibson, B.J.Conn & Conran
121. Drosera hortiorum T.Krueger & Bourke
122. Drosera huegelii Endl.
123. Drosera humbertii Exell & J.R.Laundon
124. Drosera humilis Planch.
125. Drosera × hybrida Macfarl.
126. Drosera hyperostigma N.G.Marchant & Lowrie
127. Drosera indica L.
128. Drosera indumenta Lowrie & Conran
129. Drosera intermedia Hayne
130. Drosera intricata Planch.
131. Drosera kaieteurensis Brumm.-Ding.
132. Drosera katangensis Taton
133. Drosera kenneallyi Lowrie
134. Drosera koikyennuruff T.Krueger & A.S.Rob.
135. Drosera lanata K.Kondo
136. Drosera lasiantha Lowrie & Carlquist
137. Drosera latifolia (Eichler) Gonella & Rivadavia
138. Drosera × legrandii Lowrie & Conran
139. Drosera leioblastus N.G.Marchant & Lowrie
140. Drosera leucoblasta Benth.
141. Drosera leucostigma (N.G.Marchant & Lowrie) Lowrie & Conran
142. Drosera linearis Goldie
143. Drosera × linglica Kusak. ex R.Gauthier & Gervais
144. Drosera lowriei N.G.Marchant
145. Drosera lunata Buch.-Ham. ex DC.
146. Drosera lutescens (A.St.-Hil.) Gonella, Rivadavia & A.Fleischm.
147. Drosera maanyaa-gooljoo A.Fleischm. & T.Krueger
148. Drosera macrantha Endl.
149. Drosera macropetala (Diels) T.Krueger & A.Fleischm.
150. Drosera macrophylla Lindl.
151. Drosera madagascariensis DC.
152. Drosera magna (N.G.Marchant & Lowrie) Lowrie
153. Drosera magnifica Rivadavia & Gonella
154. Drosera major (Diels) Lowrie
155. Drosera mannii Cheek
156. Drosera marchantii DeBuhr
157. Drosera margaritacea T.Krueger & A.Fleischm.
158. Drosera menziesii R.Br. ex DC.
159. Drosera meristocaulis Maguire & Wurdack
160. Drosera micra Lowrie & Conran
161. Drosera micrantha Lehm.
162. Drosera microphylla Endl.
163. Drosera microscapa Debbert
164. Drosera miniata Diels
165. Drosera minutiflora Planch.
166. Drosera modesta Diels
167. Drosera monantha (Lowrie & Carlquist) Lowrie
168. Drosera montana A.St.-Hil.
169. Drosera monticola (Lowrie & N.G.Marchant) Lowrie
170. Drosera moorei (Diels) Lowrie
171. Drosera murfetii Lowrie & Conran
172. Drosera myriantha Planch.
173. Drosera nana Lowrie
174. Drosera natalensis Diels
175. Drosera neesii Lehm.
176. Drosera neocaledonica Raym.-Hamet
177. Drosera nidiformis Debbert
178. Drosera nitidula Planch.
179. Drosera nivea Lowrie & Carlquist
180. Drosera oblanceolata Y.Z.Ruan
181. Drosera × obovata Mert. & W.D.J.Koch
182. Drosera occidentalis Morrison
183. Drosera omissa Diels
184. Drosera orbiculata N.G.Marchant & Lowrie
185. Drosera ordensis Lowrie
186. Drosera oreopodion N.G.Marchant & Lowrie
187. Drosera paleacea DC.
188. Drosera pallida Lindl.
189. Drosera paradoxa Lowrie
190. Drosera patens Lowrie & Conran
191. Drosera pauciflora Banks ex DC.
192. Drosera pedicellaris Lowrie
193. Drosera peltata Thunb.
194. Drosera peruensis T.R.S.Silva & M.D.Correa
195. Drosera petiolaris R.Br. ex DC.
196. Drosera pilosa Exell & J.R.Laundon
197. Drosera × pingellyensis Lowrie & Conran
198. Drosera planchonii Hook.f. ex Planch.
199. Drosera platypoda Turcz.
200. Drosera platystigma Lehm.
201. Drosera porrecta Lehm.
202. Drosera praefolia Tepper
203. Drosera prolifera C.T.White
204. Drosera prophylla (N.G.Marchant & Lowrie) Lowrie
205. Drosera prostrata (N.G.Marchant & Lowrie) Lowrie
206. Drosera prostratoscaposa Lowrie & Carlquist
207. Drosera pulchella Lehm.
208. Drosera purpurascens Schlotth.
209. Drosera pycnoblasta Diels
210. Drosera pygmaea DC.
211. Drosera quartzicola Rivadavia & Gonella
212. Drosera radicans N.G.Marchant
213. Drosera ramellosa Lehm.
214. Drosera ramentacea Burch. ex DC.
215. Drosera rechingeri Strid
216. Drosera reflexa Bourke & A.S.Rob.
217. Drosera regia Stephens
218. Drosera riparia Gonella & Rivadavia
219. Drosera roraimae (Klotzsch ex Diels) Maguire & J.R.Laundon
220. Drosera roseana N.G.Marchant & Lowrie
221. Drosera rosulata Lehm.
222. Drosera rotundifolia L.
223. Drosera rubricalyx T.Krueger & A.Fleischm.
224. Drosera rubrifolia Debbert
225. Drosera rupicola (N.G.Marchant) Lowrie
226. Drosera salina N.G.Marchant & Lowrie
227. Drosera sargentii Lowrie & N.G.Marchant
228. Drosera schizandra Diels
229. Drosera schmutzii Lowrie & Conran
230. Drosera schwackei (Diels) Rivadavia
231. Drosera scorpioides Planch.
232. Drosera serpens Planch.
233. Drosera sessilifolia A.St.-Hil.
234. Drosera sewelliae Diels
235. Drosera × sidjamesii Lowrie & Conran
236. Drosera silvicola Lowrie & Carlquist
237. Drosera slackii Cheek
238. Drosera solaris A.Fleischm., Wistuba & S.McPherson
239. Drosera spatulata Labill.
240. Drosera spilos N.G.Marchant & Lowrie
241. Drosera spiralis A.St.-Hil.
242. Drosera spirocalyx Rivadavia & Gonella
243. Drosera squamosa Benth.
244. Drosera stelliflora Lowrie & Carlquist
245. Drosera stenopetala Hook.f.
246. Drosera stipularis Baleeiro, R.W.Jobson & R.L.Barrett
247. Drosera stolonifera Endl.
248. Drosera stricticaulis (Diels) O.H.Sarg.
249. Drosera subhirtella Planch.
250. Drosera subtilis N.G.Marchant
251. Drosera sulphurea Lehm.
252. Drosera tentaculata Rivadavia
253. Drosera thysanosepala Diels
254. Drosera tokaiensis (Komiya & Shibata) T.Nakam. & K.Ueda
255. Drosera tomentosa A.St.-Hil.
256. Drosera tracyi Macfarl.
257. Drosera trichocaulis (Diels) Lowrie & Conran
258. Drosera trinervia Spreng.
259. Drosera tubaestylis N.G.Marchant & Lowrie
260. Drosera ultramafica A.Fleischm., A.S.Rob. & S.McPherson
261. Drosera uniflora Willd.
262. Drosera venusta Debbert
263. Drosera verrucata Lowrie & Conran
264. Drosera villosa A.St.-Hil.
265. Drosera viridis Rivadavia
266. Drosera walyunga N.G.Marchant & Lowrie
267. Drosera whittakeri Planch.
268. Drosera × woodii R.Gauthier & Gervais
269. Drosera xerophila A.Fleischm.
270. Drosera yilgarnensis R.P.Gibson & B.J.Conn
271. Drosera yutajensis Duno de Stefano & Culham
272. Drosera zeyheri T.M.Salter
273. Drosera zigzagia Lowrie
274. Drosera zonaria Planch.

What is drosera used for?

Drosera has been used for various purposes throughout history, primarily for its medicinal properties. Traditionally, extracts from Drosera plants have been used to alleviate symptoms of respiratory conditions such as coughs, bronchitis, and asthma. The plant’s mucilaginous tentacles contain compounds with expectorant and anti-inflammatory properties, which are believed to help soothe irritated airways and promote respiratory health.

Is drosera an insectivorous plant?

Yes, Drosera is indeed an insectivorous plant, meaning it captures and digests insects to supplement its nutrient intake. The sticky tentacles on Drosera leaves are covered in glandular hairs that secrete a viscous substance, effectively trapping unsuspecting insects that come into contact with them. Once caught, the plant’s enzymes break down the insect’s soft tissues, allowing the Drosera to absorb essential nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus.

Where to buy drosera?

Drosera plants can often be found for sale at specialized nurseries that carry carnivorous plants, as well as online retailers and botanical gardens with plant sales or gift shops. When purchasing Drosera, it’s essential to choose healthy specimens from reputable sources to ensure they have the best chance of thriving in your care. Additionally, some species and cultivars of Drosera may be more readily available than others, so it’s worth researching specific varieties if you have particular preferences.

How to care for drosera?

Caring for Drosera involves providing them with the right growing conditions to mimic their natural habitat. They typically prefer bright, indirect sunlight and high humidity, so placing them in a sunny windowsill or under a grow light can help them thrive. It’s important to keep their soil consistently moist but not waterlogged, using distilled water or rainwater to prevent mineral buildup. Additionally, feeding them periodically with live insects or specialized carnivorous plant food can supplement their nutrient intake and promote healthy growth.

How to pronounce drosera?

Drosera is pronounced “DROH-ser-uh,” with the emphasis on the first syllable. The pronunciation may vary slightly depending on regional accents or dialects, but this is the most commonly accepted way to say the genus name.

How to propagate drosera?

Propagating Drosera can be done through various methods, including seed germination, leaf cuttings, or division. One of the simplest ways to propagate Drosera is by using leaf cuttings, where a healthy leaf is carefully removed from the parent plant and placed on moist soil or sphagnum moss. Over time, new plantlets will emerge from the base of the leaf and develop into independent plants. Division can also be used to propagate mature Drosera plants, where the rhizome or root system is carefully divided into smaller sections, each with its own growing point.