Drosera madagascariensis

Drosera madagascariensis is insectivorous, i.e. it consumes insects. The roots are relatively underdeveloped, as nutrients are accessed via the leaves. Old leaves tend to remain, covering the stems. The leaves are distinctly stalked. Their blades are covered in knob-shaped, glandular hairs above; they are hairless below. The pink flowers grow axillary, near stem-tips, from autumn to the next summer. Each flower has five broad, rounded petals. All point in the same direction.

Darwin wrote a book Insectivorous Plants (1875) on his observations in this field. Plants that secreted fluids similar to the digestive juices of animals and how they came about, were included in his wide interests (www.darwin-online.org.uk).

This plant occurs widespread across Africa, including summer rainfall areas of South Africa, as well as on Madagascar. The habitat is marshy places, therefore not widespread in the local veld, poor in moist spots (Van Wyk and Malan, 1997).