Tony Rebelo · CC BY-SA 4.0
About
A distinctive evergreen shrub, *Roridula gorgonias* is known by common names such as Gorgons dewstick and fly bush. It is notable for its unique trapping mechanism, using sticky resins secreted by specialized tentacles on its leaves to capture airborne items.
Field notes
Morphology
The plant is a slender, upright shrub, growing up to 1 meter (or 60–100 cm) high, with stout brownish stems. The leaves are line-shaped, up to 12 cm long and ½ cm wide, with entire margins. These leaves feature long tentacles topped by teardrop-shaped glands, and the upper surface is covered with smaller, shorter tentacles intermingled with white hairs.
Distribution & habitat
Endemic to the southwest of the Western Cape province of South Africa.
Ecology
The plant is considered protocarnivorous; while it does not digest trapped insects, the bug *Pameridea roridulae* sucks out the juices, allowing the plant to absorb nutrients from the bug's droppings.
Habitat
- Altitude
- 200–1,500 m
- Altitude Class
- intermediate
- Native To
- South Africa
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Temperature
- Summer 22–30°C / Winter 8–16°C
- Humidity
- 40–70%
- Notes
- Protocarnivore: uses mutualism with Pameridea assassin bugs. South African fynbos endemic.
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