GREEN DEWTHREADS 



Scientific name: Drosem tracyi. 



Identifying features: Leaves are upright 

 or nearly so, narrow, appearing cylindri- 

 cal, grow up to 15 inches long, forming a 

 glistening, conspicuous clump. No con- 

 spicuous stem. Leaves are green, some- 

 times with reddish tinges on the glandular 

 tentacles. Flowers are pink to rose purple, 

 grow to nearly 1 inch across, stalks to 1 5 

 inches long. 



Flowering period: Mid-April to mid-May. 



Distribution: Southern Georgia, west 

 through the Florida Panhandle and south- 

 em Alabama to eastern Louisiana. 



Habitat: Bogs and wet savannas, often 

 common in ditches and along roadsides. 



Distribution in forest: Throughout. 



Abundance in forest: Common. 



Other information: The most conspicuous of the sundews. Stands of the plants 

 are easily seen as one drives by. The leaves capture large numbers of small in- 

 sects. One leaf studied had captured more than 1,500 tiny flies. A closely related 

 species, not known from the forest, has reddish glandular hairs causing the leaves 

 to appear red. Some specimens of green dewthreads may show reddish tinges. 



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