NS - Shelburne Co. - tentacular flower

Eric

Carnivore
Dff_NSK_1.jpg

The first picture shows a normal form of D.filiformis from Nova Scotia (to the left) and another unusual form (also from NS, to the right) with very special flowers that bear long sticky tentacles, just like the leaves do.

Some people might call this phenomenon “false vivipary”, but phyllody sounds much nicer and would probably be the more fitting term in this case. Why, I explain here (Monstrous flowers of Drosera). Phyllody means that a flower part (like a petal) is developed in form of a green leaf. It can happen randomly as a growth disorder to many species, sometimes as a symptom of a disease or as a result of environmental stress. This peculiar filiformis appears to be a stable, natural mutation that reliably produces only this kind of flowers.
I hadn’t heard about such a form of D.filiformis, least of all from NS, so I was really surprised that it exists. A few flowering plants of this mutant form were discovered in the field 11 years ago and offspring propagated by leaf cuttings thrives in cultivation now. It is offered by a German nursery specialised in CPs since this year. The plant label states that the sepals bear tentacles, but for the plant I received the sepals are normal. They don’t have tentacles, but the short glandular hairs on the outside of the calyx like normal D.filiformis. However the petals (corolla) are formed like short leaves including the tentacles. While this is probably unpractical for the plant and very unpleasant for natural pollinators it gives the flower a fancy look. Both the tentacles of the regular leaves (left, with a barklouse (Ectopsocus briggsi)) and those of the leaf-like petals (right, with a nymph of a shield bug) produce sticky droplets at the tip, that catch, move and digest small insects:
Dff_NSK_2a.jpg


Each flower of normal D.filiformis opens for one day only, opening the morning and closing before noon. Then the petals start wilting. The flowers of this abnormal form don't open much; the dewy petals slowly unfurl and stay alive for more than 5 weeks. Here some pictures of the flower development:
Dff_NSK_3b.jpg


The reproductive parts of the flower (stamen, stigma and ovary) look normal, but they are hardly accessible. My plant did not set any seed this year. Anyway, this clone can easily be propagated by leaf cuttings. The flowers are long lived, but did not develop into plantlets (so the terms false vivipary and vegetative apomixis don’t apply here). Here some close-ups of parts of the flower:
Dff_NSK_4bx.jpg

left: flower showing styles, ovary, anthers, petals, and sepals,
middle: detached sepal (having the usual short gland tipped hairs on the outside),
right: leaf-like petal (having unusual tentacles on the inside, the petal itself having a greenish-crimson colour).

I cut open one of the ovaries and the ovules (immature seed) appear to be developed as usual. Also a small amount of pollen is produced, but hardly released. This may be the reason why the plant is not selfing, I’ll try manual pollination next time.
Dff_NSK_5bx.jpg

1. cross-section of the flower and ovary (with most of the perianth removed)
2. ovules inside the ovary
3. still closed anther and some short and long gland-tipped hairs
4. carpel (tip of ovary and forked style)

Similar some microscopic close-ups (diascopic, same caption as above):
Dff_NSK_6m.jpg


As I mentioned above, the flowers of this D.filiformis did not produce plantlets from the inflorescence. I didn’t know this at the time of flowering and I was curious if and where plantlets would develop from the flower. So I kept the pieces after the dissection of the flower moist. Three weeks later I noticed that practically each piece started to develop plantlets, just like leaf cuttings do:
Dff_NSK_7c.jpg

1. small bud growing from the pedicel. Farther up there is a sepal, some anthers and the base of a leaf-like petal visible.
2. small bud growing from the dorsal side of the sepal. The stamen with unreleased pollen below and the ovary with ovules that turned black but did not increase in size.
3. plantlet growing from the ventral side of a leaf-like petal. Note the first leaf and root.

Frankly, I was hoping to see some growth starting from the ovary. This did not occur. But it is interesting to see vegetative propagation from cuttings using parts of the flower. I never tried this because leaf cuttings are so easy. There is always something new to discover.
 
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This is really cool!

I haven't yet had a chance to go to Shelburne to see these in person, but these are only known to be located at 5 bogs in Shelburne County, NS. They are not recorded in any other part of Canada and are therefore on the national protected list.

I'm hoping to get to the Clyde River bog to see if I can see these in person! Nice find
 
View attachment 20986
The first picture shows a normal form of D.filiformis from Nova Scotia (to the left) and another unusual form (also from NS, to the right) with very special flowers that bear long sticky tentacles, just like the leaves do.

Some people might call this phenomenon “false vivipary”, but phyllody sounds much nicer and would probably be the more fitting term in this case. Why, I explain here (Monstrous flowers of Drosera). Phyllody means that a flower part (like a petal) is developed in form of a green leaf. It can happen randomly as a growth disorder to many species, sometimes as a symptom of a disease or as a result of environmental stress. This peculiar filiformis appears to be a stable, natural mutation that reliably produces only this kind of flowers.
I hadn’t heard about such a form of D.filiformis, least of all from NS, so I was really surprised that it exists. A few flowering plants of this mutant form were discovered in the field 11 years ago and offspring propagated by leaf cuttings thrives in cultivation now. It is offered by a German nursery specialised in CPs since this year. The plant label states that the sepals bear tentacles, but for the plant I received the sepals are normal. They don’t have tentacles, but the short glandular hairs on the outside of the calyx like normal D.filiformis. However the petals (corolla) are formed like short leaves including the tentacles. While this is probably unpractical for the plant and very unpleasant for natural pollinators it gives the flower a fancy look. Both the tentacles of the regular leaves (left, with a barklouse (Ectopsocus briggsi)) and those of the leaf-like petals (right, with a nymph of a shield bug) produce sticky droplets at the tip, that catch, move and digest small insects:
View attachment 20987

Each flower of normal D.filiformis opens for one day only, opening the morning and closing before noon. Then the petals start wilting. The flowers of this abnormal form don't open much; the dewy petals slowly unfurl and stay alive for more than 5 weeks. Here some pictures of the flower development:
View attachment 20988

The reproductive parts of the flower (stamen, stigma and ovary) look normal, but they are hardly accessible. My plant did not set any seed this year. Anyway, this clone can easily be propagated by leaf cuttings. The flowers are long lived, but did not develop into plantlets (so the terms false vivipary and vegetative apomixis don’t apply here). Here some close-ups of parts of the flower:
View attachment 20989
left: flower showing styles, ovary, anthers, petals, and sepals,
middle: detached sepal (having the usual short gland tipped hairs on the outside),
right: leaf-like petal (having unusual tentacles on the inside, the petal itself having a greenish-crimson colour).

I cut open one of the ovaries and the ovules (immature seed) appear to be developed as usual. Also a small amount of pollen is produced, but hardly released. This may be the reason why the plant is not selfing, I’ll try manual pollination next time.
View attachment 20990
1. cross-section of the flower and ovary (with most of the perianth removed)
2. ovules inside the ovary
3. still closed anther and some short and long gland-tipped hairs
4. carpel (tip of ovary and forked style)

Similar some microscopic close-ups (diascopic, same caption as above):
View attachment 20991

As I mentioned above, the flowers of this D.filiformis did not produce plantlets from the inflorescence. I didn’t know this at the time of flowering and I was curious if and where plantlets would develop from the flower. So I kept the pieces after the dissection of the flower moist. Three weeks later I noticed that practically each piece started to develop plantlets, just like leaf cuttings do:
View attachment 20992
1. small bud growing from the pedicel. Farther up there is a sepal, some anthers and the base of a leaf-like petal visible.
2. small bud growing from the dorsal side of the sepal. The stamen with unreleased pollen below and the ovary with ovules that turned black but did not increase in size.
3. plantlet growing from the ventral side of a leaf-like petal. Note the first leaf and root.

Frankly, I was hoping to see some growth starting from the ovary. This did not occur. But it is interesting to see vegetative propagation from cuttings using parts of the flower. I never tried this because leaf cuttings are so easy. There is always something new to discover.
Wow. Thanks k you for sharing. I am interested in finding a droseara filiformis for my new collection.
 
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