What's new
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

D. binata dichotoma gigantea

Hi folks. I bought a D. binata Dichotoma Gigantea a while ago and after the initial break in/adjustment period it started to grow real nice. I have it in my highland Nepenthes tank as a fantastic gnat catcher and it was doing just fine. The last twin point leaf was 8" across and 10" long but now the latest leaf is developing is the same length but it's making 4 points on the leaf instead of two. Is this normal? WIth age will it develop a bunch of points?
 
Swords, I know that D. dichotoma "Giant" is supposed to have leaves that branch 4 to 12 times. But I'm not familiar enough with the forked sundews to know if Gigantea is the same.
 
Perhaps it is just "Giant" and not Gigantea, it's whatever it is they sell at Cooks. Definately my favorite sundew cos it's so different from the others, and big!
biggrin.gif
 
I have D. binata dichotoma and it never splits more than once(also from cooks). Perhaps yours is different. I think age has something to do with it. My marston dragons won't split more than once until it gets older.
 
They have a 'Giant Form' which I suspect may be the same thing as 'Giant'. If it, is you are going to have one wicked flycatcher in the house.
 
Just a quick note regarding these names. There are 2 varieites of Drosera binata: var. dichotoma (forks once) and var. multifada (forks repeatedly).

The only cultivar which is registered as far as I know is 'Marston's Dragon' registered by Adrian Slack, and 'Giant' registered by Peter D'amato.

Other names such as "gigantea", "extrema", "small red", etc. are not legitimate. Also, size alone does not determine these cultivars. For more in this subject, please refer to the descriptions at:

http://www.carnivorousplants.org/cultivars/drocult.html
 
Thanks Tam, after I see the Two Towers today I'll read that site!

I was just curious as to if this was a normal occurance because I had always thought binatas were just two "pronged" sundews. I just figured this would be a big plant with two "prongs".

Can I propagate these the same as D. adelae? Laying an older leaf cutting (tetacles up) on some medium? It'd be cool to have a big pot full of these in various sizes instead of a pot with just one big one!
 
Hi All,

D. binata dichotoma giant forks only once when young but sometimes forks 2 or more times as it ages.

Yes, these can be propogated quite readily from cuttings. I also find that if you acclimate them, you can grow them in low humidity quite easily. Mine are growing outdoors in souther CA and as larry knows the humidity never gets very high. (or does it, larry
smile.gif
)

-noah
 
Well, Noah, I guess it depends on your definition of high. Do you consider 60-70 high? We get that here a lot. But of course, here in socal, there are so many microclimates that you can't make any generalizations. Gets pretty humid during the summer, bad for me, good for my plants.
wink.gif
 
  • #10
Look at this;

cc-Drosera-side.jpg


Do you see that huge forked sundew to the right? Dont know the species, but I think it's like my multifida extrema.
 
  • #11
binata 'T'form forks once (2 points), dichotoma usuallly forks twice (4points), multifida forks many times. young dichotoma only fork once till they mature.
 
  • #12
The plant near the front of the right side in the picture seems like a D. X 'Marston Dragon'.
 
  • #13
Ahh... Drosera binata, one of my all-time favourite Drosera species!
smile.gif


There is just so much variation within this species. Historically, from a horticultural perspective, there have been various named forms (taxonomically invalid though at present in many cases):

D.binata 'T' Form
(forks once usually [=2 points], circa 15-50cm tall, "olive-green" leaf blades & dark-red tentacles)

D.binata dichotoma 'Small Form'
(as above, but lighter-green slightly wider leaf blades and amber to pink/light-red tentacles)

D.binata dichotoma 'Giant Form'
(forks once to 6 times usually [=2 to 12 points] - ***supposed*** to fork twice usually, but in practise mine often fork more - circa 50 to 100cm tall, bright-green wider leaf blades & amber to amber+light-red tentacles, larger flowers: magnificent!! )

D.binata multifida
(forks once to 10 times usually [=2 to 20 points], circa 15-50cm tall, "olive-green" narrower leaf blades & dark-red tentacles: white or "apple-blossom" pink flowers, very beautiful! )

D.binata multifida extrema
(forks once to 14 times usually [=2 to 28 points], circa 15-100cm tall, "olive-green" narrower leaf blades & dark-red tentacles: white flowers)

D.binata 'Marston Dragon'
A clone of a hybrid (D.binata dichotoma 'Giant' x D.binata multifida ?? can't remember! ) selected by Adrian Slack at his Marston Exotics nursery in Somerset, England.

These descriptions are from memory, so please forgive me / feel free to correct if any details are wrong! There are a few more "traditional" horticultural varieties probably I've missed out.

I guess these are mostly horticultural clones of a highly variable species, rather than taxonomically correct botanical names, but all are worth collecting and growing, as they are highly distinctive! I can instantly recognize multifida from it's very narrow "spreading" leaves, or dichotoma from it's robust light-green leaves and amber tentacles.

Truly a wonderful species! Very easy to grow and propagate via leaf or especially root cuttings: seed works for some varieties, or for hybrids between clones, indeed in my collection D.binata is as "weedy" as D.capensis. This species is also quite hardy, down to at least 0C, and probably lower (if planted deep). It can be grown outside in the Southern UK.

Kind regards,

Adam.  
biggrin.gif
 
Back
Top