It’s a very pretty but deadly plant. Alpine sundew is a carnivorous plant that grows in sub-alpine and alpine areas of New Zealand. To supplement its diet it catches small insects, dissolves them and absorbs the “meaty” nutrients.
Not unlike an insect, I became attracted to sundew by the “dew drops” that were glistening in the sunlight. On my first encounter with this unusual plant, I dropped everything and laid down flat on my tummy to have a close look. Since the plant is quite small—the leaves are often no longer than 50 mm—it’s the only way to examine a sundew’s intricate details and fascinating features.
The fleshy leaves are covered in hair-like tentacles that secrete drops of sweet mucilage (before you ask, no, I didn’t taste it) which lures unsuspecting insects.
I have yet to observe the actual trapping of an insect. Although from what I’ve read, once an insect lands on the plant, it becomes trapped by the sticky dew drops and dies within 15 minutes, either as a result of exhaustion or, when it becomes completely wrapped by the sticky substance, by asphyxiation. The plant then secretes enzymes that dissolve the insect and free up its nutrients, ready for absorption by the plant’s leaves. What a crafty way for a plant to receive vital nutrients that are missing from the habitat’s poor soil!
Alpine sundew–Drosera arcturi.
Sunlight makes the leaves glow red.
Without direct sunlight the leaves appear brown.
An individual leave…
…with glistening “dew drops”.
Further info
The scientific name of Alpine sundew is Drosera arcturi. The latter part of the name means “of Arthur”, derived from Mount Arthur, a locality in Tasmania, where Drosera arcturi also grow natively.
To come back to the question “how do you like your meat”, my guess is that Madam or Sir Drosera likes it “quite well done” to “well dissolved”.
