Drosera peltata
Sundew
an annual or perennial evergreen member of the Drosera genus in the family Droseraceae.
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Droseraceae
- Genus
- Drosera
- Life cycle
- annual, perennial
- Foliage
- evergreen
- Flower type
- hermaphrodite
Uses
Toxicity
Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
The plant is slightly toxic according to one report[2].
Medicinal uses
Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
The plant is anodyne, blood tonic and carminative[2]. It is used in India in making gold bhasma, which is antisyphilitic, alterative and tonic[5]. The crushed leaves, with or without salt, have been used as a blistering agent[5]. This can be of value as a poultice since it brings more blood to the area and helps speed the clearance of toxins in arthritis and rheumatism[6].
- Product or use
- Alterative
- Product or use
- Anodyne
- Product or use
- Blood tonic
- Product or use
- Carminative
- Product or use
- Rubefacient
- Product or use
- VD
Environment
- Range
- E. Asia - China to the Himalayas.
- Habitat
- Grassy slopes, 1500 - 3600 metres in the Himalayas[8]. Wet places in Japan[9]. Sunny hillsides in China[2].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- no shade
- Water
- high
- Hardiness
- Zone 9+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy
- Soil pH
- very acid, acid, neutral, alkaline
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a free-draining soil with some charcoal added and with a layer of finely chopped sphagnum moss on top[3]. Surface sow and keep the compost moist. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 2 months at 20°c[3]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Prefers a sandy peaty soil, succeeding in poor soils and in bogs[4]. An insectivorous plant, it can survive in nitrogen poor soils because it gets the nutrients it needs from insects[1][4]. The upper surfaces of leaves are covered with hairs that secrete a sweet sticky substance[10].This attracts insects, which become smeared with it and unable to escape - the plant then exudes a digestive fluid that enables it to absorb most of the insect into its system[10]. A highly variable species in the wild[7]. This sundew is not very hardy in Britain and is best treated as a greenhouse plant[1].
References
F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
? A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press ISBN 0-914294-92-X
Bird. R. (Editor) Focus on Plants. Volume 5. (formerly 'Growing from seed') Thompson and Morgan. 1991-00-00
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986-00-00
Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996-00-00 ISBN 9-780751-303148
Flora of China 1994-00-00 http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Polunin. O. and Stainton. A. Flowers of the Himalayas. Oxford Universtiy Press 1984-00-00
Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965-00-00
Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-356-10541-5