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D. madagascariensis and hybrids


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Hello sundew lovers!

More impressions from Zambia:

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Very robust plants of D. madagascariensis grew with floating stems on the margin of a lake in northern Zambia.

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They did form red flowering carpets among the reeds.

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These more compact forms of D. madagascariensis grew on slightly drier ground than the huge forms, which prefered growing waterlogged. But sometimes both forms grew side by side, and their characters remained stable. I don't think that it's ecologically induced. Think of the huge forms of D. madagascariensis in cultivation (known as "D. madagascariensis var. major" or as "D. spec. Rhodesia" (not the Tamlin one!!)).

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This robust form is more green as it grew among tall species of Xyris ("yellow eyed-grass").

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In contrast to D. madagascariensis, which generally grew in soaking wet places, D. affinis prefered drier ground. Where both species grew together, and where intermediate living conditions are available, hybrids between D. affinis and madagascariensis were found quite frequently. These plants did confuse us first: They look surprisingly similar to Debbert's D. longiscapa from Natal, except the fact that they where coloured deep red, whereas D. longiscapa stays yellowish-green (or copper) even in full sun. These plants in Zambia flowered readily, but we found only small seed grains in the capsules which turned out to be sterile.

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D. affinis in comparision to the hybrid D. affinis X madagascariensis:

In D. affinis, the petioles (and the flower stalk) are only sparsely pubescent, whereas in the hybrid, both leaves and stalks are densely hairy. The stipules of D. affinis are tightly appressed to the stem, thus covering almost the whole stem surface. The stipules of the hybrid are more laciniate (like in D. madagascariensis), shorter and more lax in arrangement.

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One of the most impressive Drosera we saw (in my opinion): The hybrid D. elongata X affinis. (see Fernando's post!)

Unfortunately, this hybrid produced only inviable seed as well :wink:.

All the best,

Andreas

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