Drosera peltata in Western Melbourne

[strath76]

Thanks Shawn.

Most people wouldn't notice the plants. I was looking for them and still almost stood on them. In a month or so they will be a little easier to see as the erect stems mature and they begin to flower. I will try to get back to take some follow up shots then.

JK, the tuberous Drosera grow through the wetter winter period. Both shots are from the same area. I was at this site in the afternoon after a couple fo days of rain. This would be the reason why the soil looks so wet. The soil is quite sandy. At the end of the season the soil will dry up considerably and the moss will also dry up. Through the summer the soil will be baked with temperatures reaching above 40 degrees Celcius.

The tuberous Drosera require this dry soil through the dormancy (summer) period so that the tubers do not rot away. If I took a photo through this period the soil would be dry with a crust on the soil. This is often refered to as a biotic crust. When the rains come the moss comes back to life and greens up quickly.