Drosophyllum lusitanicum

[Rafa]

Some seeds have germinated last spring but finally die in summer, but this month I have found 4 plants, now I have to find a few flies to complete its diet

[Paddy Tobin]

Very interesting, Rafa.

Paddy

[Cris]

Wuau Rafa, I didn't know that we have endemic carnivorous in the peninsula ibérica.
Congratulations for such a well suceded germination

[Rafa]

indeed, the fundamental area of distribution is Portugal, you can't find it through all the country, I think. In Spain you only could see it in Cádiz, Huelva...

Also there are other genera of carnivorous in Spain and Portugal like Drosera, Pinguicula... In my village grows Drosera rotundifolia and Pinguicula grandiflora.

[Cris]

I didn't know that, I did not imagine we have carnivorous here

[Lesley Cox]

Will you have to find prey for them Rafa as if they were lizards in captivity? or will flies caught in passing be enough?

[Paul T]

Rafa,

Great to hear of your success.  Looks like a fascinating little carnivore too.  Please keep us updated on how they grow and what they end up looking like. 

Lesley,

They may not HAVE flies!!  I don't know whether you over there in NZ get the same blowflies as we have here, but I always look at these indoor-outdoor rooms that they show on the shows like Grand Designs and Greenest Homes etc and I just can't imagine them being anything but a means of letting flies into the house. There'd be hundreds in our backyard today!! 

[fredg]

Drosophyllum lusitanicum is perfectly capable of attracting its own prey.
The whole plant will smell of honey.
When I grew it the plant would have triple decker flies stuck to the leaves.

On no account should there be any root disturbance.
That would be instant death.

[Lesley Cox]

Paul we certainly do have flies in various sizes including the beastly bluebottle and other blowflies. I hate them. All the places around here have a horse or a pig, a few sheep and chooks of course so I feel the flies are encouraged but town houses seem to have them too.

Unfortunately I've lost both my Pinguiculas and seed I was sent didn't germinate but for them, I found the little insects that are in field mushrooms and frequently on peaches, made wonderful snacks for the pings, and they always flowered superbly when fed the little insects in autumn.

[Paul T]

Lesley,

The Fungus gnats (which I think is what they're called) that appear in potting mix work beautifully for Pinguicula and Drosera.  After some repotting a few months ago we had the little beasties through the house.  The Pinguicula did what it could, but there were too many of them.  I brought one of my Droseras in from outside to end it's dormancy early and it shot very well under lights in the warmth of the house..... within 2 weeks there were no more fungus gnats about.  Some of the Drosera leaves had 20 of the little blighters on there within just a few days (and only a cm or two of leaf opening).