Range: Highlands of southern Minas Gerais, Brazil

 

A spectacular Latin American sundew restricted to the Serra do Ibitipoca and Serra Negra highlands in extreme southern Minas Gerais, this species can be found from 1400-1750 meters in elevation where it can be found in lower elevations along riverbanks in Sphagnum moss pads and quartz rock cracks, and at higher elevations in Sphagnum colonized seeps and depressions, or disturbed areas with exposed sandy soils. This species is typically acaulescent, but can sometimes form stems to 5 cm tall, with a rosette of erect to semi-erect linear-lanceolate leaves up to 23 cm in diameter. The petioles are distinct and can be short or up to half the leaf length,  parallel to slightly tapered and covered on both sides in a dense pilose indumentum of white hairs (from whence the species name arises); lamina are narrow and oblong to lanceolate with rounded or acute tips, bearing the same indumentum on their abaxial side. Color is green with red tentacles to solid wine red throughout, often heavily red blushed with greener petioles and crimson lamina. Inflorescences may be up to 36 cm in height, with the base densely pilose changing to densely glandular near the apex, and may bear up to 30 blooms. Flowers may be nearly 2 cm in diameter, with obovate white to pale pink petals. This species is readily distinguished from its relatives by the lengthy linear-lanceolate leaves and dense indumentum on most parts of the plant, and a blooming period primarily in the wet season while others may be year-round or dry.

 

Cultivation: grow in a 1:1 peat/perlite or sand soil or in a 1:1 sphagnum/perlite mix, kept very moist to wet but well aerated and humid, with temps of 60-85°F daytime, notably 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 occasional division, and can be grown through leaf and possibly root cuttings.

 

Sources: http://fm2.fieldmuseum.org/plantguides/jpgs/DROS-drosera-villosa-bra-asan171.jpg

Gonella et al. (2014). Exhuming St. Hilaire: revision of the Drosera villosa complex (Droseraceae) supports 200 year-old neglected species concepts. Phytotaxa 156(1): 1-40.