Drosera macrantha Endl.

Species Nomenclature

Drosera macrantha, commonly known as the bridal rainbow, is a scrambling or climbing perennial tuberous carnivorous plant in the genus Drosera that is endemic to Western Australia.

Habitat Range

It can grow in a wide range of habitats, including winter-wet depressions with sandy, loamy, laterite, or quartzite soils.

Vegetative Morphology

This species produces small, cup-shaped carnivorous leaves along a long climbing stem that can reach heights between 0.16–1.5 m (0.5–4.9 ft).

Flower Characteristics

Its white or pink flowers, which measure 1 inch (2.5 cm) across, bloom from June to November, blooming earlier in the more northern parts of its range.

Initial Publication

Drosera macrantha was first described and named by Stephan Endlicher in 1837.

Taxonomic Synonymy Background

Its large, variable range has resulted in a considerable amount of taxonomic synonymy.

Subspecies Classification History

Several subspecies of D. macrantha have been published, but most have been reclassified into or lumped together with the taxon Drosera stricticaulis. D. stricticaulis itself was first described by Ludwig Diels in 1906 as a variety of D. macrantha before it was later elevated to full species rank.

Subspecific Taxon Publication

One of the most recent subspecific taxa described was D. macrantha subsp. eremaea, published in 1992 by N. G. Marchant and Allen Lowrie; D. macrantha subsp. macrantha is the corresponding autonym.

1996 Taxonomic Revision

In 1996, Jan Schlauer published a comprehensive revision of the genus Drosera with a new field key, and moved subspecies eremaea to become a subspecies of D. stricticaulis, though he did not provide a specific rationale for this change.

Current Taxonomic Recognition

Other taxonomic authorities, such as FloraBase managed by Western Australia's Department of Environment and Conservation, still recognize subspecies eremaea as belonging to D. macrantha.