''Drosera arcturi'' is a

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

insectivorous A robber fly eating a hoverfly An insectivore is a carnivorous animal or plant which eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which can also refer to the human practice of eating insects. The first vertebrate insectivores we ...

species of sub-alpine or alpine

herb Herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typically distingu ...

native to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

and

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

. It is one of New Zealand's two alpine species of sundew, the other being '' Drosera stenopetala''. The

specific epithet In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin gramm ...

, which translates as "of Arthur" from

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

, is a reference to Mount Arthur, in north-eastern

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

, the type locality of the species.A.F. Mark and Nancy M. Adams, ''"New Zealand Alpine Plants"'', Reed, 1973Bruce Salmon, ''"Carnivorous Plants of New Zealand"''. Ecosphere Publications, 2001.

Distribution and habitat

''Drosera arcturi'' grows in bogs, tarns and seepages, most commonly at montane or alpine elevations and is also commonly found in ''

Sphagnum ''Sphagnum'' is a genus of approximately 380 accepted species of mosses, commonly known as sphagnum moss, also bog moss and quacker moss (although that term is also sometimes used for peat). Accumulations of ''Sphagnum'' can store water, since ...

'' bogs. It is found in alpine areas from the East Cape of the

North Island The North Island ( , 'the fish of Māui', historically New Ulster) is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but less populous South Island by Cook Strait. With an area of , it is the List ...

, southwards to

Stewart Island Stewart Island (, ' glowing skies', officially Stewart Island / Rakiura, formerly New Leinster) is New Zealand's third-largest island, located south of the South Island, across Foveaux Strait. It is a roughly triangular island with a la ...

. It is found above 1,500m altitude in the North Island, descending to sea level in the South Island. It is also found in the mountains of southeastern

and in

, where it is occasionally found growing down to sea level in the west and south-west of the island. In New Zealand, ''D. arcturi'' is often found growing in clumps alongside ''

Utricularia dichotoma ''Utricularia dichotoma'', commonly known as fairy aprons, is a variable, perennial species of terrestrial bladderwort. It has mauve or purple fan-shaped flowers on a slender stalk and usually grows in wet locations. It is a widespread species ...

''.Pietropaolo, J. & P. Pietropaolo. 1986. ''Carnivorous Plants of the World''. Timber Press, Inc.

Description

The leaves of ''D. arcturi'' are linear, 1–5 cm long, undivided, and range in colour from pale green to muddy brown, to maroon if subjected to full sunlight. Like all other species of ''Drosera'', ''D. arcturi'' catches insects using sticky, glandular hairs on its leaves. In ''D. arcturi'', these glandular hairs are red. Young leaves begin at the center of the plant and are folded along their center. Once the young leaf reaches full maturity it unfolds like a book. Drosera_arcturi_Lake_Pedder_Tasmania

The plants' first upright leaves emerge in spring. After two or three leaves have formed, the nominal form produces a small, solitary white flower, 13 mm across, which is borne on a short stalk in summer, and positioned near the top of the leaves. The giant, lowland form produces 1–5 flowers on a long inflorescence up to 25 cm long. Flowers are present from November to February and fruits are present in January–March. ''D. arcturi'' is a summer grower, and after flowering its leaves gradually reduce in size to form an elongated, horn-shaped hibernaculum. In this form it passes the cold, harsh alpine winters. The hibernaculum is normally buried near the surface of the soil or moss and is usually covered with snow for several months during winter.

References

External links

Image gallery
on the website of the New Zealand Carnivorous Plant Society. * {{Taxonbar, from=Q145555 Carnivorous plants of Australia Carnivorous plants of New Zealand arcturi Caryophyllales of Australia Flora of Tasmania Flora of Victoria (state) Flora of New South Wales Flora of the Australian Capital Territory