Drosera capensis

Drosera capensis /ˈdrɒs.ər.ə ˌkəˈpɛnsɪs/, the Cape sundew, is a perennial rosette-forming carnivorous herb in the flowering plant family Droseraceae. It is native to the Cape region of South Africa, where it grows in permanently wet, nutrient-poor habitats. Its elongated, roughly oblong leaves are held semi-erect and have a distinct petiole. It is quite a variable plant with several recognised growth forms, some of which form a short stem. As in all sundews, the leaves are covered in stalked glands that secrete sticky mucilage. These attract, trap, and digest arthropod prey, obtaining nutrients that supplement intake from the substrate in which the plant grows. D. capensis has dramatically mobile leaves that curl around captured prey, preventing its escape and facilitating digestion.

First recorded in the late 17th century, D. capensis was one of the five Drosera species included in the first edition of Carl Linnaeus' Species plantarum. A relatively large, 'showy' species that flowers readily and is considered very easy to grow, it was cultivated in Europe as a curiosity from the mid-18th century and is now one of the most widely-grown sundews. It has also been extensively studied, including as a potential source of bioactive compounds of pharmacological interest, and was the first sundew to undergo whole-genome sequencing. Although often uncommon and localised in its native range, it has become naturalised in several countries following deliberate introductions, and is listed as an invasive species in New Zealand.