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biodiversity explorer

the web of life in southern Africa

Family: Droseraceae (sundew and Venus' fly trap family)

Life > eukaryotes > Archaeoplastida > Chloroplastida > Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants) > Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants) > Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering plants) > Eudicotyledons > Core Eudicots > Order: Caryophyllales

Four genera and about 100 species (cosmopolitan), with two genera and 21 species native to southern Africa and a further genus and seven species that are cultivated in the region. Insectivorous.

Genera native to southern Africa

List from Plants of Southern Africa - an Online Checklist (SANBI).

Aldrovanda

One species: Aldrovanda vesiculosa (widespread through Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa, including southern Africa).

 

Drosera (sundews)

About 80 species (cosmopolitan), with 20 species native to southern Africa and a further six species that are cultivated in the region.

Other genera, cultivated in southern Africa

Information from Glen (2002). Drosophyllum lusitanicum has been moved to its own family, following the Angiosperm Phylogeny Website.

Dionaea (Venus' fly-trap)

One species: Dionaea muscipula (Venus' fly-trap), native to SE USA.

 

Publications

  • Glen, H.F. 2002. Cultivated plants of southern Africa. Jacana, Johannesburg.