Drosera burmannii, form from Beerwah

[Tom]

Hi,

I have been growing this form for now more than 3 years, and it is the only form I have grown. It has pretty, large green rosette, mostly out of red pigmentation, even under strong lighting. But this year something change: most of the seeds sown grew up in red colored plants! Only 1-2 individuals in a pot of 20 show 'the original caracters'. What happens? A 'bad' genes recombination in the seeds formations process (the red genes took on the green? I don't know which one is recessive in this case...)? Any idea on this?

By the description I've read of this form, it is caracterized by the green color, and lack of red (even if it not totally). But since it is now totally transformed, do I still have the 'right' to label it as the form from Beerwah... It is still ok with the location, but not with the phenotypes...

Thanks

 

[Tamlin Dawnstar]

Hi Tom,

This seems very strange to me!  I have grown the Beerwah form outside in full sun, and have never gotten a red form.  Here is a photo of one plant which was grown outside in full sun.  The photo was taken at the end of the growing season (you can see the red in some other Drosera next to it):

Are you also growing Drosera sessilifolia? If so, this may account for the color difference if the plants are confused or hybridized with each other?  Just a thought. How about posting a photo: is this possible?

You might try writing to Ivan Snyder who introduced this form into the U.S. to see if his plants ever became red .  Note that "Beerwah" is not a published cultivar, so there are really no qualifiers of color or form.  By ICBN convention, the addition of anything other than the scientific binomial is considered illegitimate (despite frequent use ny everyone).

 

[Tom]

Hi Tamlin,

thank for the quick reply! No, I never had the chance to grow the 'distant' twin D. sessifolia, so hybridization is not possible. I'll try to post a picture soon (must find a way to have some time to take a picture when the light is open! ). When I said the 'almost green', it is about the 'pinkish' *really light pinkish* like appearence of the glands (see your picture, at 7-8 o'clock on the plant). Other than that, my plants were plain green and white, as your.

 

[Tom]

Here they are, quick picture of them side by side:

Sorry for the look they have (I'm a bit ashamed!) but they didn't recover very well for the aphids attack they had this summer when I was away. I think they'll skip flowering this year, and the rosette shorten in size since I switched the light back on 12/12. Let's hope they'll find a way to live a little longer, at least for setting seeds... I'll begin by removing dead leaves... it's a start

 

[Emesis]

This weekend I happened to see Ivan Snyder and his Beerwah D. burmannii plant. Like you mentioned Beerwah is just the location where he obtained it.

From your picture, I can't tell if the redness is a plant characteristic or if it is the red fungus that seems to infect this species. It seems that the leaves are dewless, which would be that fungal infection.

P.S. Tamlin -- Ivan's computer is in the shop, so it might be a little while before he responds to you.

 

[Tom]

Emesis, here is a close up of the red plant, by what I can see, I do not see any fungus growth (a lot of dead leaves though), unless it is not apparent...

 

[Copper]

Tom,

What ever they are they certainly are beautiful.

 

[Joseph Clemens]

<span style='font-size:12pt;line-height:100%'>Here is a photo of Drosera sessilifolia, a species with a remarkable resemblance to Drosera burmannii, in fact you will need to get some input from one of the Drosera experts to tell you of any differences besides the difference of where they grow natuarally. All I know is that they are one of my favorite little gems. They grow quickly and easily -- nice traits for one so beautiful.</span>

 

[Tom]

Nice plant Joseph, I like the little pinkish flower stalk on the plant at left. Indeed, they are very similar! But I never had the chance to have this one, and neither another form of D. burmannii, so why the 'red traits' came up is still mysterious... Is D. sessilifolia different in cultivation?

 

[Joseph Clemens]

I see what you mean, the next emerging inflorescence looks like a miniature pink pigs tail.

Your plants appear to be doing what mine do when the salts/TDS in the media has increased to the point of being toxic to the roots. Sometimes transplanting to new, low TDS media will permit them to recover, sometimes it is too late.

Drosera sessilifolia, for me, has the same growth requirements as Drosera burmannii.

 

[Tom]

So you think the sudden color change in tentacules would result of high concentration in salt? Interesting point, and since I have nothing to loose, I'll repot them right away and let you know what happens

thx

 

[Emesis]

Tom,

With the close-up picture, I agree that it is not some fungal infection. Maybe you could check the pH w/ a litmus paper to save yourself from repotting the plants.

 

[zappafan]

Hi. Pingman does the turning red due to the soil conditions happen to numerous other drosera as well ?

 

[Joseph Clemens]

Yes, I have seen it happen with several different Drosera at various times. Often it is attributed to certain fungi, but it could be that the soil conditions or TDS/Salinity level has tipped the balance in favor of the fungus.

 

[Tom]

An update! After few weeks, the new grown leaves are back 'to normal' , ie without red pigmentation. The only change was I was watering less (too buzy) so the soil was lightly moist and not wet. I haven't had the chance to test the TDS, but I will in the next week, even though everything got back to normal. Strange , but I'm satisfied, since I didn't wanted to loose my beloved Beerwah form!

 

[FrankenSnyder]

Here is a recent photo of one I resurrected from seed this year. I have always grown mine indoors under fluorescent lights and they are always green like this. In the wild there in Beerwah many of them were a rosy pink. They struck me as looking like flowers laying on the ground. A beautiful sight. After reading this post I believe under certain conditions my green plant too could color up. Although, I am happy to have my living souvenir all green. Other forms I have grown are variable in size, leaf shape, and color.

 

[adnedarn]

Here is my only sprout from @FrankenSnyder seed from 10/25/23. Under my led with the pings it definitely has red. I may move it to less light to make it look right lol.

 

[FrankenSnyder]

Thanks for the news and photo. Glad you like it green. Historical note: I checked my old Carnivorous Plant Newsletters. Burmannii Beerwah first appeared in the ICPS Seedbank June 1994; 30 years ago! Thanks for helping keep it going.

 

[andynorth1962]

May I ask what all the little green specks all around this are? I seem to have a bunch of them growing in with some of my drosera and was just wondering what they are. TY

 

[adnedarn]

In my photo? It's moss starting to grow. Eventually it will be a thick mat that can absolutely cause trouble for some plants and they will need to be transplanted.