D. allantostigma
Range: southwest Australia, near Hill River
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Named for the strange sausage-shaped stigmas in its flower, this rare species is known currently from only a small scattering of populations near a town north of Perth, where it grows in peaty to sandy or loam soils along the edges of shallow depressions that gather water in winter. Plants only grow to 2 cm in diameter, with a flat rosette of leaves with flat, linear petioles that taper where they meet the simple elliptic to teardrop-shaped lamina. Coloration is green to yellowish, usually with rich red color to the tentacles giving an orange to crimson glow. Gemmae are simple rounded structures. The inflorescences are up to 8 cm tall, very thin and wiry and highly glandular around the peduncle and sepals, and bear up to 20 blooms. Flowers are up to 1 cm in diameter, with obovate to wedge-shaped, pure white petals and deep bloody red stigmas that are slightly horseshoe-shaped. This species appears to be self-sterile unlike most relatives, requiring separate clones to pollinate. It is distinguished from its relatives by, if not the thick red stigmas present and their odd shape, then by lengthy pedicels that lengthen further when pollinated and stigmas attached to the style in peltate fashion.
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Cultivation: grow in a 3:1 or 3:2 sand/peat soil mix, kept moist throughout the year to wet in winter and moderately humid, with temperatures of between 50-70°F during the winter growing season; if allowed to become too warm or dry in summer they may enter dormancy which is difficult to break. Sow seeds on soil surface (may require exposure to GA3 or smokewater treatment, or heat stratification, to germinate), and grow in strong artificial light to full sun. Reduce photoperiod in winter to encourage gemmae production.
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Lifespan and reproduction: short-lived perennial to 5 years. Reproduces by gemmae, and, rarely, seeds; may possibly be propagated by leaf pullings.
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Sources: Lowrie et al. 2017. Drosera of the World Vol. 2. Redfern Natural History Publications.