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Drosera binata conundrum

TheFury

Oh, the humanity!!
So check this out -

I was sure I had a Drosera binata "T-form", because all of the leaves looked like this:
8663dcb0.jpg

Pretty clear, right?

But I went away on vacation last weekend, came back, and noticed this:
8c2d67a2.jpg

Several leaves are forking twice. In fact, all new leaves growing in seem to have that second fork.

First of all - what plant is this now ???
Second of all - what made the plant suddenly decide to start forking a second time? Did it just grow up?

This is all very exciting...
 
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1. Drosera binata
2. Yup. They'll start shaving or want a car any day now.

http://www.sarracenia.com/faq/faq5270.html
Drosera binata is the great fork-leafed sundew. (Drosera binata var. binata) is often called the T-form, and denotes plants with mostly one bifurcation and deep green foliage that becomes red-tinged with age. A form with similarly colored foliage but with approximately 8-16 leaf tips is called D. binata f. multifida. An undescribed plant, similar to D. binata f. multifida but with 16-40+ leaf tips is sometimes called "D. binata f. extrema", a name seriously in need of validation. The name Drosera binata var. dichotoma indicates plants with yellow-green foliage that regularly divides into four (or occasionally a few more) branches. Horticulturists have a selection of this called Drosera binata 'Giant'. A noteworthy Drosera binata cultivar is Drosera 'Marston Dragon'.
 
Well I knew it was Drosera binata - I should have been more specific in my question. What variety is it? Reading that, it seems like it would be Drosera binata var. "dichotoma" - yellow green foliage with four branches.

[Edit: Though there are no official names for several of the different growth habits of Drosera binata there are certainly horticulturally noteworthy differences among plants of this species. I propose they be registered as cultivars.]
 
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Maybe it's a Drosera binata "multifida"?

100_9555.jpg
 
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Okay, okay.

There is only one species in this group - Drosera binata. They are all just Drosera binata. There are no officially named subspecies, forms, or varieties. There are a few cultivars derived from the species Drosera binata, one named Drosera 'Marston Dragon' and another named, Drosera 'Giant' as has already been mentioned and quotes posted from ICPS FAQ by Not a Number. But other designations, making note of floral or vegetative differences are unofficial and not valid. Nothing officially more valid than personal nicknames.

Some of those names, like Drosera binata var. multifida, Drosera binata var. dichotoma, or Drosera binata var. extrema are not validly published names, though my opinion is that the plants they attempt to define are distinct enough to at least deserve their own status as cultivars.
 
to toss a wrench in the gears here. Drosera 'Marston Dragon' appears to be self sterile (my observation and observation of John B) and also incompatible with all other D. binata forms (John B observation). Supposedly it was a hybrid between the D. binata 'Giant' and a D. binata "multifida extrema". I was always under the impression that if you got sterile offspring from a cross you were dealing with 2 different species......


Alternatively one D. binata 'Giant' could be diploid, D. binata "Multifida Extrema" could be tetraploid and the resulting cross a triplod? Thus having an incompatible chromosome number to make viable crosses with either parent or other forms in the species
MTF
 
I had heard that "Drosera binata" is likely a complex of related plants; a project for some ambitious, aspiring, botanical taxonomist to tackle and sort out.

I wonder if anyone has taken up that gauntlet and is working on publishing this Drosera complex.

Meanwhile I don't believe there is anything keeping we horticulturists from publishing the various forms of Drosera binata as cultivars. It certainly would help us to discuss them with each other.
 
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Robert Gibson was studying the Drosera binata group but after a period of time decided to focus elsewhere (the D. peltata group). I believe that the separation of plants in the D. binata group was nowhere near as straightforward as it initially appeared. We will be waiting awhile.
 
Peter D'Amato is chiefly responsible for the widespread use of the various names for Drosera binata. However, if I recall correctly, he notes in "The Savage Garden" that these names (at the time of publication) are not official. Since most are Latin or Latinized they are not acceptable as cultivar names.
 
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Steve Clemesha from NSW in Australia was the person that created the names back in the early 80's (could've even been the 70's.....). They were in widespread use prior to being listed in the Savage Garden.
 
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