Drosera huegelii Species Profile

Drosera huegelii Species Profile

Drosera huegelii is an erect tuberous sundew native to Western Australia.

Drosera hugelii is a small to medium sized sundew. The plant has an erect stem that is glabrous. The leaves are solitary. The petioles are arching with dangling, deeply cupped laminae that look like jellyfish. The flowers are comparatively large and coloured white or light pink. The sepals are distinctively fringed at the border with a smooth surface.

There are three forms of the plant. The typical form of plant is the largest and grows about 30-45cm in height. These plants are often found amongst sandy heathland. A dwarf form referred to as the ‘phillmanniana’ variety is restricted to the high peaks of the Stirling Range. This tiny plant grows only a few centimeters tall with a few leaves, but retains a proportionally oversized flower. A third form grows atop granite outcrops along the south coast of Western Australia. These medium sized plants look as if they are intermediates between the two other varieties but their exact relationship is currently unknown.

Drosera huegelii is distributed in coastal areas and adjacent inland regions from around Bunbury down to Albany and east past Esperance. It is usually encountered in sparse heathland, on moss gardens atop granite outcrops and on moist exposed areas on Bluff Knoll. It’s dangling, jellyfish-like leaves that are borne singly distinguish it from other most other erect species (which usually have leaves produced in sets of three). Drosera marchantii and Drosera macrantha in its early growth stages can bear a superficial resemblance but their leaves are much less cupped that D. huegelii.

Drosera huegelii var huegelii growing in the Fitzgerald River National Park. This large plant grows up to 50 cm tall and is widely distributed along the south west coast of Western Australia. Its foliage can be distinguished from the somewhat similar D macrantha by its glabrous nature.
Drosera huegelii var phillmanniana on the high slopes of the Stirling Range. This diminutive variety grows only on the peaks of the Stirling Range and select granite outcrops of the South West region. This plant in the Stirling Range had pink flowers. The sepals of the species are feathered.
Drosera huegelii var phillmanniana in the high slopes of the Stirling Range. This diminutive variety grows only on the peaks of the Stirling Range and select granite outcrops of the South West region. The proportionally over-sized blooms are one of my favourite aspects in this variety.
Drosera huegelii var phillmanniana on the summit of Bluff Knoll. This diminutive variety grows only on the peaks of the Stirling Range and select granite outcrops of the South West region. The plants in the summit plateau are especially stunted by the harsh conditions and snow that occasionally falls well into spring.
Intermediate form of D. huegelii growing on a granite outcrop in the South West. Compared to the plants I saw in the Stirling Range, this population produced plans that were a relatively taller and more robust.
Large form of D. huegelii near Hopetoun
Drosera huegelii v. philmanniana
Drosera huegelii v. philmanniana
Drosera huegelii v. philmanniana
Intermediate granite growing form
Intermediate granite growing form
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