In Brazil CPs are especially common on the numerous Precambrian sandstone highlands spread throughout the central and eastern parts of the country. On these highlands grows 'campo rupestre' ('rocky fields' in Portuguese) vegetation, which consists of mostly herbaceous plants (lots of grasses) as well as scattered short bushes and trees, growing in sandy-rocky soils. It'ss very similar to the Venezuelan tepuy vegetation, or superficially even to the South African fynbos. Typical plant families of campos rupestres are: Velloziaceae, Eriocaulaceae, Compositae, Orchidaceae, Bromeliaceae, Gramineae, Melastomataceae, Leguminosae, Cyperaceae, Myrtaceae, Xyridaceae, Rubiaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Malpighiaceae, and of course Droseracaea (Drosera) and Lentibulariaceae (Genlisea and Utricularia). The biodiversity of the flora of campos rupestres is truly fantastic and the incredible amount of micro-habitats results in occasional oddities such as cacti growing only a meter apart from Drosera!

The Drosera species known to occur in Brazil south of the Amazon Basin are: D.brevifolia Pursh, D.capillaris Poir., D.chrysolepis Taub., D.colombiana Fernández-Pérez, D.communis St.Hil., D.graminifolia St.Hil., D.graomogolensis T.R.Silva, D.hirtella St.Hil. var.hirtella, D.hirtella var.lutescens St.Hil., D.intermedia Hayne, D.montana St.Hil. var.montana, D.montana var.schwackei Diels, D.montana var.tomentosa (St.Hil.) Diels, D.sessilifolia St.Hil., and D.villosa St.Hil. I have studied all of these in their natural habitats (except D.intermedia, but see below) and have even found a few new species, three of which will be discussed in this article and which I refer to as: D.sp.’Congonhas’, D.sp.’Emas’, and D.sp.’stemless chrysolepis’.

North of the Amazon River, the precise number of Drosera species which occur in Brazil is uncertain. D.biflora Willd. Ex Roem.& Schult., D.esmeraldae (Steyerm.) Maguire & Wurdack, D.roraimae (Klotzsch ex Diels) Maguire & Laudon, and D.sessilifolia are without doubt present. Then there are several species which have been collected just over the border in Venezuela and which may occur in northern Brazil too. These are D.arenicola Steyerm., D.capillaris, D.cayennensis Sagot ex Diels, D.colombiana, D.communis, D.felix Steyerm.& L.B.Smith, D.intermedia, D.kaieteurensis Brumm.-Ding., and D.meristocaulis Maguire & Wurdack. Among these, I have studied all in their natural habitats in northern Brazil and southern Venezuela except D.capillaris, D.cayennensis, D.colombiana, and D.meristocaulis.

Very few Brazilian Drosera species were in cultivation until a few years ago – and even then only in the possession of a handful of lucky CPers. Although still rare, many of these species are now being traded among a large number of CPers, including D.chrysolepis, D.montana, D.graminifolia, and even a few new, yet-to-be described taxa. As with all species recently introduced to cultivation, there are endless doubts about the best ways to cultivate each of these exotic sundews. CPers around the world are busily carrying out experiments, trying to decide what is best for these species in terms of temperatures, soil humidity, exposure to sunlight, soil mixtures, pot sizes, fertilizers, etc. – all in the attempt to discover that infalible “recipe” to be published in some CP newsletter telling everyone exactly what a certain species needs to thrive. Sadly, it too often happens that what works for one person will not work under someone else’s conditions. One of the first experiments CPers work on with rare "new" Drosera is asexual propagation – especially when they show signs that they are about to croak and it's all or nothing! When leaf or root cuttings work, a single plant can soon be transformed into dozens, reducing the risk of total loss to disease, pests, or accidents. And best of all, asexual reproduction can, in a relatively short time, give one plenty of extra plants to offer for trade.

Everyone familiar with Drosera cultivation has, at one time or another, taken advantage of their asexual reproductive capabilities – D.binata root cuttings or D.filiformis leaf cuttings, for example. But what works for some species does not always work for others and some Drosera spp. simply refuse to reproduce other than by seeds. So why do some species reproduce better asexually than others? Well for one thing, the ability to spread asexually can be an enormous evolutionary advantage over other species when a fire burns the rosettes, leaving only the roots behing, for example.

I have observed in the field asexual reproduction in nearly all Brazilian Drosera taxa. D.capillaris, D.communis, D.graomogolensis, D.montana var.tomentosa, and D.villosa have been found spontaneously budding from their leaves while new shoots were seen growing from stems of D.chrysolepis, D.graminifolia, D.graomogolensis, D.montana var.schwackei, D.montana var.tomentosa, D.villosa, and D.sp.’Emas’. Furthermore, all Brazilian Drosera spp. are capable to some extent of regenerating from their roots – except for D.sessilifolia. Asexual reproduction is probably useless for this species, since it is the only true annual Drosera in S.America.

This regenerative capability is not only an advantage against wildfires but also against all kinds of damage to the apical meristems. For example D.graomogolensis and D.villosa were observed in cultivation to grow new rosettes from the roots after the original rosettes died from disease or after the growing tips were eaten by catterpillars – catterpillars with a death wish to be disposed as Nepenthes food!

Another example is D.sp.’Emas’, a small delicate species with a fragile stem usually less than 10cm long. I have observed this taxon to recover quickly after fires, sprouting a new shoots from the base of the burned stems. After only three or four months, these new stems may already be a few centimeters in length and may even be flowering.

A most interesting proof or asexual reproduction was obtained in July 1995, at the Serra do Cipó highlands (Minas Gerais state, southeastern Brazil). I visited a site where I had collected several D.chrysolepis almost exactly a year before. To my surprise, I realized that each of the holes I’d left behind the previous year, where I’d removed small chunks of soil with D.chrysolepis, now contained numerous young specimens with stems reaching up to 7cm in length! Knowing that seedlings of this species do not develop so fast, it seemed obvious that the roots left behind when I removed the plants in 1994 produced the numerous young plants observed in 1995.

Although asexual reproduction by the roots is widespread, a few species have evolved to take special advantage of it. D.chrysolepis, D.communis, D.graminifolia, D.graomogolensis, D.montana var.schwackei, D.montana var.tomentosa, D.villosa, D.sp.’Congonhas’, D.sp.’Emas’, and D.sp.’stemless chrysolepis’ usually produce healthy leaves year round. On the other hand D.brevifolia, D.colombiana, D.hirtella, and D.montana var.montana regularly survive the winter (dry season) as dormant roots. I have discovered that these four summer-flowering taxa are specialized for growth in drier habitats. Their rosettes disappear between April and August and new rosettes grow back from the rootstock three to five months later with the arrival of summer rains.

Numerous Drosera species are known to undergo dry dormancy in South Africa and Australia through roots (such as D.cistiflora L. and D.pauciflora Banks ex DC.), corms or “tubers” (D.erythrorhiza Lindl., D.peltata Thunb., and many others), or simply as compact buds with reduced leaves (D.petiolaris R.Br. ex DC. complex), sometimes protected by large stipules (pygmy sundews: D.pulchella Lehm., D.pygmaea DC., etc.). Among New World Drosera taxa, D.brevifolia, D.colombiana, D.hirtella, and D.montana var.montana are the first species recorded to undergo dry dormancy.

In March 1997, while collecting a few specimens of a new taxon of the D.hirtella-complex I’d just discovered, I found several plants with swollen roots, almost like small tubers – an apparent indication that storage of nutrients does occur in these species before the (antipodal) winter dormancy.

Unfortunately, attempts at asexual reproduction of these taxa in cultivation through leaves and/or roots proved to be very difficult, if not impossible for me – although several friends have been reasonably successful with various species. If it works in nature, it should work in cultivation as well!