Way Cool,
The pygmy's that I have are recently acquired last season, so I can't say how long their life is. I can tell you that after flowering and gemmae production, the plants are very exhausted, and need rest in slightly drier conditions (I do not tray water them after the gemmae are produced for a couple of months, until strong new spring growth is evident) I know of growers who have kept them for years though. Some like scorpioides and lasiantha get some real character with age: the stems become long and have the old leaves attached to the lengthening stems, really neat looking.
The gemmae grow much more quickly than seed (and yes, the gemmae are diploid: exact clones of the parents genetic makeup). Once they start up, it is only a matter of a month or so before there is a discernable rosette. I love to watch them unfold their arms!
Darcie,
The plantletts that form on Dionaea scapes are another example of vegatative apomixis: non-sexual reproduction, and so not an example of alternation of generations. Plants that had this trait were successful, and passed the genes on. I suppose the trait could have arose as an initial mutation though, and this over time contributed to the success of the plants: the genes were spread through sexual reproduction in the populations until it became a part of the genetic makeup of the species.
BjornNorman,
I should be able to resend at least the D. paleacea roseana after the New Year, and possibly the other too, so don't take it too hard!