July 10, 2022: Round-leaved Sundew

Last week I noted this really neat plant growing on a log that many years ago came to rest along the shoreline in a marsh.

Round-leaved Sundew (Drosera rotundifolia)

There are other plants growing on this old decaying tree including moss and some grasses.

A few other plants are taking up residence on this floating home.

But the round-leaved sundew is by far the most interesting in my opinion.  

I recognized the long thin hairs with drops of sticky liquid on them from plants such as the venus fly trap, which indicates it's a carnivorous plant.  It's an example of a plant that has adapted in unique ways to live in places where most plants can't survive.  It grows in highly acidic areas such as bogs and fens where the acidity precludes the growth of organisms (e.g. fungi) that usually generate the nitrogen plants need to survive.  So to live in this low-nitrogen environment, the round-leaved sundew adds animals to its diet - that is insects, mostly small flys and midges.  

The plant's prey is attracted to the round leaves and those eyelashes with thick tacky droplets on each one.

Does this look inviting to an insect?

When an insect lands and gets trapped the plant slowly closes up around it - though if the insect is struggling vigorously the plant speeds up its action.  Once it has enclosed its prey it secretes enzymes which digest the animal; it can even deliver an anesthetic that demobilizes its meal so it can't escape.  The plant uses the nitrogen in the animal to supplement the nitrogen that is lacking in the poor soil - or log - on which it lives.  Depending on the nitrogen level in the soil, nitrogen from animals makes up 25 to 50% of the sundew's nitrogen needs.  

These plants have tiny white blossoms that appear in July and August so I'll see if I can find their flowers later this summer.  Most of the information provided here came from an organization called Adirondacks Forever Wild; you can read their full report here.

In other news, both loon nests are still occupied, presumably getting closer to hatching out new chicks.  And I haven't seen any fawns yet, but this cute moment with a fawn and its mother was captured just south of the Lakes Region in Canterbury:

As soon as mom stops, junior goes looking for something to eat but mom seems to say, "not now, we have things to do."  Thank  you GP for sharing!

I've heard quite a few scarlet tanagers around the lake but haven't been able to see any - they sing loudly from high up in the tops of dense trees.  But I did catch a cedar waxwing on a morning paddle.

Cedar waxwing

It's a bird I don't see often.  

Lastly, it's time for the Evening Primrose to bloom.  

Evening Primrose

I wrote about this interesting biannual plant in my July 19th, 2020 post, including the many insects that live on it.  (As an interesting coincidence, that post also included a different carnivorous plant, the greater bladderwort.)  The only animal I found on this primrose was the aptly named Primrose Moth, a pretty, soft, pink and white insect.

Primrose Moth

The wonders and beauty of nature are endless.