Round-leaved sundew

Taxonomic information

Common Name: Round-leaved Sundew

Latin Name: Drosera rotundifolia

Family: Droseraceae (Sundew family)

Description

Round-leaved sundew

This plant was formerly used by herbalists in making a potion said to be the source of youthful looks and strength, virility and longevity. This unmistakable insectivorous plant has reddish leaves which are covered in red or green hairs, each tipped with a drop of sticky, translucent ‘dew’. Small insects landing on the leaves or hairs trigger the plant to move and entrap them in as little as three minutes. The insect then often gets coated in an acidic liquid and suffocates before being digested by the plant. These plants grow in habitats which have low nutrient levels in the soil and the extra protein gained from insects can enable the plants to thrive.

The round-leaved sundew is found growing in wet acid peaty habitats with little shade. It has a widespread distribution in the British Isles where it is more common in the northern and western areas and absent in most of central, eastern and southern England. However it is rarely found in abundance.

In the Yorkshire Dales National Park this plant is fairly frequent in acidic damp hollows, seepages and bogs usually associated with cranberry and bog asphodel in the north of the National Park.