Droseraceae
Drosera

Drosera madagascariensis DC.

First published in Prodr. 1: 318 (1824)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical Africa to Eswatini, Madagascar. It is a subshrub and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Droseraceae, J. R. Laudon. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978

Morphology General Habit
Perennial herb, caulescent, but occasionally apparently acaulescent by reduction; stem up to 25 cm. long.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate, clustered and erect at the top of the stem, but deflexed lower down; lamina 0·5–1·5 x 0·2–0·5 cm., elliptic, obovate or spathulate, glandular, especially towards the margins above, sparsely pilose below; stipules up to 5 x 1 mm., oblong, lacerated at the apex; petioles 1–3 x 0·03–0·1 cm., glabrous or pilose above, usually pilose (rarely glabrous) below.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Peduncles
Peduncles 1–2, 9–55 cm. long, arising laterally below the top of the stem, then curving to become erect, glabrous, glandular or pilose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence 2–14-flowered; pedicels 1–10 mm. long, glandular or pilose; bracts 3 mm. long, linear, sparsely pilose, caducous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 5, 4–7 x 1–2 mm., connate at the base, elliptic or oblong-lanceolate, glandular-pilose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 5, 5–8 mm. long, pink or purple.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 5, filaments 5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary subglobose, glabrous; styles 3, 2 mm. long, 2-partite to the base, apices clavate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 0·7–0·9 x 0·2 mm., brownish-black, fusiform; testa reticulate, with longitudinal and transverse ridges.
[FZ]

Droseraceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:1. 1954

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers pink.
[FWTA]

Droseraceae, J.R. Laundon. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1959

Morphology General Habit
Caulescent perennial, but sometimes apparently acaulescent by reduction.
Morphology Stem
Stem to 25 cm. long.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves spirally arranged, erect at the top of the stem, but reflexed lower down; blade elliptic, obovate or spathulate, 5–15 mm. long and 2–5 mm. broad, glandular, especially towards the margins on the upper surface and sparsely pilose on the lower surface; petiole 10–30 mm. long and 0.3–1 mm. broad, glabrous or pilose above, usually pilose (rarely glabrous) below.
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules oblong, up to 5 mm. long and 1 mm. broad, lacerated at the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Peduncles 1–2, 9–55 cm. long, arising laterally below the top of the stem, then curving to become erect, glabrous, glandular or pilose; inflorescence 2–14-flowered; pedicels 1–10 mm. long, glandular or pilose; bracts linear, 3 mm. long, sparsely pilose, caducous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 5, elliptic or oblong-lanceolate, 4–7 mm. long, 1–2 mm. broad, glandular-pilose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 5, 5–8 mm. long, pink or purple.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 5; filaments 5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary subglobose; styles 3, 2 mm. long, bifid nearly to the base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds fusiform, 0.7–0.9 mm. long, 0.2 mm. broad, brownish-black; testa reticulate, with longitudinal and transverse ridges.
Figures
Fig. 1/8, p. 3.
Habitat
Boggy places and seepage areas in short grassland and in open spaces in Brachystegia woodland; rarely on wet rocks; 900–2300 m.
Distribution
throughout tropical and subtropical Africa from French Sudan and French Guinea to Natal and Cape Province (Pondoland) K3 T1 T4 T7 T8 U2 U4
[FTEA]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/107387381/107387406

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

Common Names

English
Sundew

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Plants and People Africa

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/
    • © Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/