Variation in floral fragrance of tuberous Drosera

Abstract

Floral fragrance is not widely developed in the genus Drosera, and little has been written about this feature. Interestingly, most species with fragrant flowers are found in Australia and comprise some pygmy Drosera (Drosera subgenus Bryastrum section Lamprolepis Planch.) such as D. dichrosepala Turz., D. enodes N.G.Marchant & Lowrie, D. paleacea subsp. trichocaulis (Diels) N.G.Marchant & Lowrie, and D. roseana N.G.Marchant & Lowrie (Lowrie 1987) and most of the tuberous sundews (Drosera subgenus Ergaleium) (Lowrie 1987), such as D. heterophylla Lindl. (Bourke & Nunn 2012), D. praefolia Tepper (Gibson 1995), D. prostratoscaposa Lowrie & Carlquist (Lowrie & Carlquist 1990) and D. rupicola (N.G.Marchant) Lowrie (Lowrie 1987). Five species of sundew with sweetly scented flowers have recently been reported from northern South America: D. amazonica Rivadavia, A.Fleischm. & Vicent., D. arenicola Steyerm., D. felix Steyerm. & L.B.Sm., D. kaieteurensis Brumm.-Ding., and D. solaris A.Fleischm., Wistuba & S.McPherson (Rivadavia et al. 2009); all of which are found in Drosera subgenus Drosera section Oosperma Schlauer. This paper presents a summary of my observations of floral fragrance in the tuberous sundew (Drosera subgenus Ergaleium (DC.) Drude).