Seasonal Wild Flowers

Latin name

Drosera intermedia

Other names

Long-leaved Sundew

Family

Droseraceae

Flowering season

June to August

English distribution

It is found mainly in the South, the Southwest, Norfolk and

the Lake District. It is very thinly scattered elsewhere.

See the BSBI distribution map for Oblong-leaved Sundew

Habitat

It grows on damp heaths, especially where there are drier

areas of bare peat.

Description

Oblong-leaved Sundew is a native, insectivorous, reddish,

perennial herb, growing up to 10cm.

The flowers are on curved stems that arise from below the

rosette of leaves.

The flower stems grow out of several parts of the rosette.

They are more bendy and shorter than in Round-leaved

Sundew.

I have not seen the flowers fully open, but close-ups of

the half open flowers show that there are 5 white petals,

5 stamens - each with 2 yellow anthers.

There are 3 deeply divided green styles and short,

linear pink stigmas.

The fruits are capsules.

The leaves are in a basal rosette.

Leaves are long ovals with a long stalk (petiole).

They are covered in red, sticky hairs, which trap small

insects. Sundews live in nutrient poor habitats and

utilise the carcasses as a source of nutrients.

 The floras state that the flowers of Round-leaved

Sundew and Oblong-leaved Sundew are similar.

However, Oblong-leaved Sundew has yellow anthers

and pink stigmas compared to the white stigmas

and anthers of Round-leaved Sundew.