| Drosera whittakeri | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Droseraceae |
| Genus: | Drosera |
| Subgenus: | Drosera subg. Ergaleium |
| Section: | Drosera sect. Erythrorhiza |
| Species: | D. whittakeri |
| Binomial name | |
| Drosera whittakeri | |
Drosera whittakeri (scented sundew, Whittaker's sundew) is a sundew that is native to South Australia and Victoria. [1]
Plants are 4 to 8 cm in diameter, with broadly spathulate leaves arranged in a rosette. These may be green, orange-yellow or red in colour and are 10 to 15 mm long and 9 to 13 mm wide. [1] Up to 20 white flowers are produced overall, with multiple flowers open at any one time. [1] The main flowering period is May to November in its native range, but flowers may appear throughout the year. [2]
The species was formally described by Jules Émile Planchon in Annales des Sciences Naturelles in 1848 as Drosera "Whittakerii". [3] The species was named after Derbyshire botanist Joseph Whittaker who collected some 300 plant specimens from Adelaide and the southern Mount Lofty Ranges to Encounter Bay between 1839 and 1840. [1] : 163 Two subspecies are recognised by some authorities: [3]
In 2008, Allen Lowrie and John G. Conran elevated the former to species status, as Drosera aberrans . The authors also argue that Drosera praefolia should be considered a distinct species, rather than a synonym of D. whittakeri. [1]
Media related to Drosera whittakeri at Wikimedia Commons