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Drosera afra
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Drosera afra near the summit of Matroosberg, WC, South Africa
Drosera afra in the Hex River Mtns near Ceres, WC, South Africa
Flower of D. afra
Habitat of D. afra below the summit of Matroosberg, WC, South Africa
Species Information
Nomenclature: Drosera afra Debbert
Publication: Debbert, P. (2002). Einige neue Drosera-Arten aus Südafrika (Droseraceae). Linzer Biologische Beiträge, 34(1), 793–800.
Description:
Distribution in South Africa: WC
Habitat: Sandstone fynbos on mountain slopes in both seasonally wet and permanently wet seepages.
Conservation: Widespread and recorded from multiple protected areas. Like other montane species, D. afra might be threatened by invasive species (especially pines) and climate change.
Phenology:
Taxonomy & Variation: D. afra is not a widely accepted species and in most references is listed as a synonym of D. trinervia. In spite of this, there is sufficient morphological and ecological evidence to support accepting D. afra as a species.
There are some variants that warrant further taxonomic investigation. Large plants with reduced petioles are abundant in the Cederberg near Pakhuis Pass. Unusually small plants bearing 1-2 pale flowers can be found in the Kouebokkeveld. Suspected hybrid swarms of D. trinervia and D. afra complicate identification in some areas.
Drosera afra is widespread in high elevations across the Western Cape
Floral variation in D. afra. Bottom-right image represents a unique form of a suspected hybrid between D. afra and D. trinervia.
D. trinervia (L) and D. afra (R)
The long petioles of D. afra might allow it to persist in wetter habitats than those in which D. trinervia is usually found
D. trinervia (L) and D. afra (R) growing together in a seepage near Ceres
Plants from the Koue Bokkeveld can be especially small and pale-flowered.
Large plants with reduced petioles are common in the Cederberg near Pakhuis Pass and might represent an undescribed species rather than D. afra.
In places where they occur together, such as the base of Matroosberg, hybrids between D. afra and D. trinervia can make identification challenging.
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