Ahh...
Drosera binata, one of my all-time favourite
Drosera species!
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.