About Drosera linearis Goldie
Taxonomic Identity
Drosera linearis Goldie is a herbaceous perennial carnivorous plant.
Growth Habit
Its entire long linear leaves are covered in gland-tipped hairs, and plants grow in rosettes 6–15 cm wide.
Stipule Characteristics
The leaf stalks (stipules) are 5 mm wide and hairless.
Leaf Blade Morphology
The linear leaf blades measure 1–6 cm long and 1.5–3 mm wide, with edges lined by hair-like glands.
Flower Scape Traits
Hairless flower scapes grow 6 to 13 cm long, and each scape bears 1 to 4 white flowers at its end.
Flower Morphology
The flowers are 6–8 mm wide and have obovate petals.
Seed and Capsule Features
Seed capsules are 4–5 mm long; when ripe, the capsules contain black seeds that are oblong-obovoid to rhomboidal in shape, 0.5–0.8 mm long, and densely covered in irregular crater-like pits.
Chromosome Count
The diploid (2N) chromosome count of this species is 20.
Species Distribution
The range of Drosera linearis is centered around the Great Lakes region, with scattered populations occurring in western Canada and the Canadian maritime provinces.
Population Abundance
It is rare across most of its range, and only locally common in specific habitats.
Minnesota Habitat
In Minnesota, it occurs in remote peatlands of the state's northwestern and north central regions, where it grows in minerotrophic water sourced from groundwater or nearby uplands.
Minnesota Conservation Status
Due to its overall rareness and restrictive habitat requirements, Drosera linearis is listed as a threatened species in Minnesota.
