Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden, South Africa

Common name: Skiereiland-sonnedou, Vlieëvangertjie, Peninsula sundew

Family: Droseraceae (Sundew)

Synonym: Drosera admirabilis, Drosera cuneata

Distribution: Western Cape

Habitat: Peaty sandstone slopes

National red list: Least Concern

Life form: Herbaceous perennial

Comments: This carnivorous plant occurs only on the Table Mountain complex in the Western Cape. It grows in the rainy winter season and usually goes dormant in the dry summer season. It flowers late spring to summer, producing pink or purple flowers. Like most carnivorous plants, Droseras (typically known as sundews) grow in standing or slow-moving water. The nutrients in these soils are typically leached out and consequently insectivorous plants have evolved another strategy to obtain nutrients: carnivory. Sundews have glands on their leaves which act like external stomachs: it captures prey on the sticky mucilage, curls over the insect to bring it in closer contact with the glands and tentacles, and secretes enzymes to digest its prey.