Edwards's Botanical Register/Appendix to the first twenty-three volumes/A sketch of the vegetation of the Swan River Colony/Droseraceae

by John Lindley

Droseraceæ.

If there were no other evidence of the springy nature of the soil at Swan River, the abundance of plants of this order would attest it. Only two species are mentioned by Dr. Endlicher, namely, D. stolonifera, a small species, with verticillate leaves, and panicles of white flowers; and D. macrantha, a very fine species, with stems sometimes more than two feet long, and panicles of large rose-coloured flowers; D. filicaulis of the same author, previously supposed to be confined to King George's Sound, has also been met with. To these are five species of Drosera and one of Byblis to add; all of which are plants of a very remarkable appearance. D. pallida⁸⁷ has close panicles of large white flowers, with the general appearance of D. macrantha. D. gigantea⁸⁸^^ has a loose panicled erect stem, sometimes as much as two feet high, with small white flowers; D. heterophylla⁸⁹ has simple stems, each terminated by three or four very large flowers, and is remarkable for the lower leaves being flat and entirely destitute of the orbicular glandular fringed expansion of the upper leaves; D. erythrorhiza⁹⁰ is a small plant with obovate whorled leaves, and bright scarlet bulbs the size of the largest kind of hazel nut; D. macrophylla⁹¹ is a plant with a similar

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⁽⁸⁷⁾ Drosera pallida; glaberrima, caule flexuoso, foliis caulinis alternis longissimè petiolatis peltatis orbiculatis glanduloso-fimbriatis: axillaribus brevibus geminis, racemis terminalibus paniculatis, petalis sepala acuta integerrima duplò superantibus.—Flowers apparently white or pale pink. There is also a variety of this, if not a distinct species, with the sepals minutely pubescent, and slightly fringed.

⁽⁸⁸⁾ Drosera gigantea; caule erecto paniculato glaberrimo, foliis brevè petiolatis peltatis triangularibus longissime fimbriatis: axillaribus geminis ferè æquilongis, paniculâ laxâ multiflora, alabastris subrotundis, petalis sepala acuta glaberrima superantibus.—Flowers small, white.

⁽⁸⁹⁾ Drosera heterophylla; bulbis sphæricis nigris, caule erecto simplici flexuoso glaberrimo, foliis radicalibus linearibus acuminatis caulinis subtriangularibus peltatis brevè petiolatis fimbriatis axillaribus nullis, racemis terminalibus paucifloris, petalis sepala oblonga obtusa glanduloso-serrulata triplò superantibus.

⁽⁹⁰⁾ Drosera erythrorhiza; bulbis sphæricis coccineis, caule brevi simplici verticillum unicum foliorum gerente obovatorum versus marginem glanduloso-villosorum, cymâ terminali puberulâ, petalis sepala acuta glabra duplò superantibus.

⁽⁹¹⁾ Drosera macrophylla; bulbis . . . . caule brevi simplici verticlllum unicum foliorum gerente obovatorum glanduloso-hirtorum, pedunculis elongatis paucifloris glabris in medio verticilli fasciculatis, petalis sepala acuta glabra duplo superantibus.—Like the last in habit, but three times as large.

appearance. and probably has also bulbs. The Byblis⁹² is a most beautiful plant, erect, covered with very singular glands, a foot and half high, with filiform leaves ten or eleven inches long, and purple flowers more than an inch and half in diameter. All of these are well worthy cultivation, but it will perhaps be difficult to preserve them.

These Droseraceous plants appear likely to be in some cases of commercial value as dyer's plants. Every part of D. gigantea stains paper of a brilliant deep purple; and when fragments are treated with ammonia they yield a clear yellow. The bulbs of D. erythrorhiza and stolonifera possess the same property; in these there is a deep scarlet powder secreted by the scales of the bulbs, which is instantly dissolved in ammonia, forming at first an orange-coloured fluid of great richness, but it soon changes to the rich purple above mentioned, which is more like the colour obtained from Archil than any thing else to which I can compare it. Possibly these bulbs are what Dr. Milligan speaks of under the name of "boom," which he says "are scarlet roots, not unlike in shape and size to tulip roots. They roast them in the ashes, and then pound them between two flat stones, rubbing the latter with a ball of earth to prevent the root adhering to it; when thus prepared they are mucilaginous and of a glossy black colour; they may be considered the bread of the natives who live near the coast." If so they may be easily enough obtained for the purpose of exportation, and may assist the poorer settlers in turning to account the produce of their land.

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⁽⁹²⁾ Byblis gigantea; glanduloso-pubescens, caule erecto flexuoso (sesquipedali), foliis longissimls filiformibus, pedunculis solitariis unifloris axillaribus foliis brevioribus, sepalis lineari-lanceolatis 3-6-nerviis quam petala serrulata duplò brevioribus, stigmate slmplici.