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Drosera capensis

Most of the D. capensis that I have grown have a rather narrow leaf, with the lower part of the leaf (petiole?) being narrower than the part with the sticky tentacles. These plants have produced literally thousands of volunteer seedlings, becoming a nice weed in all of my pots.

This year, I noticed that one of the many volunteers was very different (see photos below). The lower part of the leaf is wider than the part with the sticky tentacles. The flower is about 2 inches in diameter, more than twice the size of my other D. capensis. I have never seen a capensis that looks like this one, but perhaps I have been too sheltered. I will collect the seed and see if the offspring look the same. Any coments? Is this aberation simply what a typical wide-leaf capensis looks like?
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Nice flowers! I like the ruffled edges a lot. I have seen similar petiole width in typical capensis, though this seemed usually to be brought on by growing conditions. I would be interested to see how permanent these characteristics are on your plant. I grew the so-called "crestate" capensis but it evenutally reverted back to normal growth. Is this plant growing in the exact same soil, light, water, humidity, etc. conditions as other typical capensises not showing these characteristics?
 
wow,verry beutiful plant BobZ!
to my eyes it looks like a cross ,D.regia x D.capensis ?
but i have to agree with Noah .

i've grown some flytraps that mutated into some kool fused teeth and Dante' like leaves.
i now know that can happen from the cold snap they recieved that spring, they all reverted to normal. that summer.
 
Isn't the increased flower size a symptom of a rare doubling of the genetic material? What's it called? Tetraploidy?

Very interesting. I wonder if that's what the one selling in the auction is like.
 
I'd bet my cat that this is an example of polyploidy. It's a very distinct plant Bob, it should be intersting to see how the seed behaves. I have a similar form bfut had not noticed the serrated dpetals. I'll give it a close look this seson.
 
WOW Bob! I have some young growing off of the Wide that Tamlin sent. One appears to be yet wider. I am waiting to see if that will change.
 
$10 says it's a 4N plant.  Fatter leaves, bigger flower?  Oh yah, you might have a leagal new species if it can self it'self.  
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 So then, anyone have access to stuff for a chromosome squash?  I will in the fall, but we should check this plant out ASAP, asuming of corse samples can be donated to the cause ;D

Edit: Oh shoot, everyone else beat me to that concluesion. AH well. Those comenting on the origenal Wide Leaf plants, we cultivate them at the Miejer Gardens and I work with them a lot. When they come from seed stock they vary in wideness with most being between typical and wide. The only way to get realy good wide leaf 2N plants is to use cuttings and the like. They varry a lot when little, but by the time they grow up they all end up about the same. Still, this tetraploid 4N Capensis is way more cool. Since two people seem to have them it seems like it should be verified, propigated and registerd as the new species
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How cool is this, hystory in the making... My work on making a new cultivar is much less exciting, just stablising the 5 branched scape viriety that has shown up in our 'Typicals' at the gardens.
 
Not sure about a new SPECIES, Darcie
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Probably just a subspecies, or another form. Bobz, maybe i could have a few seed before these suckers reach 50 dollars a plant?
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WOW! The flowers are awesome! How big are they?
 
  • #10
Here is an update. Last week I harvested the flower spike from this plant. The spike had produced over 30 flowers and I anticipated a bunch of seed. I could not find a single seed in the entire spike! I have never had a D. capensis that did not produce thousands of seeds, so this plant seems to be "different". I was particularly interested to see if this plant produced seedlings with similar characteristics, but the plant is apparently sterile. My next approach is try to reproduce the plant with leaf cuttings.
 
  • #11
could it be a hybrid? maybe something was pollinated by accident and mislabeled? it clearly has d. capensis in it, whatever it is.
 
  • #12
It could just be a very nice mutant. I really like the edges of the flowers, they have a smewhat rose(Rosa) looking.
 
  • #13
I lean towards it being some sort of hybrid....do you have any aliciae near by? Very possible it's a steril hybrid, or one that can't self and any rate. I think it's a good idea to try to pollinate it with the pollen from another plant....I would also do the reverse.
 
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