Range: Sergipe, Bahia, Goias, and Minas Gerais, Brazil

 

This member of the D. montana complex is a widespread species, found in four states in Brazil across the highlands from 700-2050 meters in elevation. Plants can be found from seasonally dry to near-aquatic habitats in peat-sand mix soils along seeps, stream sides, and quartz outcrops. Plants may develop short stems to 2 cm tall, topped by a semi-erect to typically flat rosette 5 cm across. Leaves are roughly obovate to oblong, with a short but distinct tapered petiole often covered on both sides with a sparse to dense pilose indumentum and lamina that are broader and oblong with sparse hairs on their back. Color is bright olive green with scarlet tentacles to solid crimson or nearly wine red throughout. Inflorescences may reach up to 33 cm tall, covered either in a dense layer of hairs in the type form or only in an increasingly dense layer of small red glands in the often (but not always) sympatric D. tomentosa var. glabrata, and may bear up to 25 flowers. The blooms are up to 1 cm across with variably narrow to broad obovate or cuneate light to dark pink petals. This species can be distinguished from its relatives by the oblong-obovate leaf shape with moderately broad petioles, absence of the glandular hairs on the basal third of the flower stalks, and possessing ovate to oblong-ovate sepals.

 

Cultivation: grow in a 1:1 sand/peat soil, kept very moist to wet but preferably aerated and humid, with temps of 65-85°F day, cooler at night, year round. Sow seeds on soil surface, and grow in strong artificial light to full sun.

 

Lifespan and reproduction: perennial. Reproduces through seed, and can be grown through leaf or root cuttings.

 

Sources: Rivadavia et al. (2014). Elucidating the controversial Drosera montana complex (Droseraceae): a taxonomic revision. Phytotaxa 172(3): 141-175.