Drosera peltata Thunb.

Flowering and fruiting from June to September.

Drosera peltata is close relative of Drosera indica, but differs from the latter in its leaves peltate (vs. linear), stem forming tubers below ground (vs. not forming tubers below ground).

Drosera peltata is occurring in Anhui, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, W Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, SW Sichuan, Taiwan, S Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang of China, E and SE Asia, Australia.

Phylogenetic relationships among Drosera, Dionaea, and Aldrovanda were inferred from combined rbcL and 18S rDNA sequence data (Rivadavia et al., 2003). This analysis revealed that all Drosera species form a clade sister to a clade including Dionaea and Aldrovanda. The rbcL tree indicates that Australian species expanded their distribution to South America and then to Africa. Expansion of distribution to the Northern Hemisphere from the Southern Hemispere occurred in a few different lineages.

Herbs perennial, forming aerial portion only for a few months during early summer. Stem erect or climbing, branched distally, 9-32 cm, forming a tuber to 8 mm in diameter. below ground, glabrous or with black, papillose glands. Basal leaves densely whorled, or absent in some populations, exstipulate, yellowish green to green; petiole 2-8 mm; leaf blade peltate, orbicular to suborbicular, 2-4 mm long, 6-8 mm wide; some leaves reduced, linear, ca. 2 mm. Cauline leaves alternate, remote, exstipulate, yellowish green; petiole 0.8-1.3 cm; leaf blade peltate or lunate to semiorbicular, 2-3 mm long, 4-5 mm wide, margin glandular hairy. Inflorescence terminal; cincinnus 2-6 cm, 3-22-flowered; bracts cuneate to oblanceolate or subulate; pedicels 0.6-2 cm. Sepals 5-7, united near base, yellowish green, lanceolate to ovate, 2-4 mm long, ca. 1.5 mm wide, glabrous to glandular hairy, apex 5-7-fid. Petals usually white, rarely pink or red, oblong-cuneate, 4-6 mm long, 2-3 mm wide. Stamens 5, 2-4 mm. Ovary subglobose, ca. 1.5 mm in diameter; placentas 3; styles 3, 2-5-parted, ca. 0.8 mm; stigma 2- or 3-fid. Capsule subglobose, 2-5-valved, 2-4 mm. Seeds ellipsoid-ovoid to globose, ca. 0.4 mm; venation scrobiculate.

The chromosomal number of Drosera peltata is 2n = 32 (Hoshi and Kondo, 1998).

Growing in sparse Pinus forests, scrub, meadows, streamsides, sunny open places, roadsides; sea level to 3700 m.