Family: sundews (Droseraceae)
Blooming time: July–August
Size: 5–15 cm
Habitat: bogs
The leaf rosette of the middle sundew (Drosera intermedia) is formed by club-shaped leaves with numerous stalked glands that secrete sticky droplets. These are traps for tiny arthropods attracted by the scent of the sundew. The enzymes that the plant secretes break down the prey. The sundew thus obtains the nutrients it needs, which are scarce in the places where it grows. We call it a carnivorous plant. In Slovenia it is rare, thriving only in bogs in the interior of Slovenia. Its dependence on a rare and extremely sensitive habitat led to the inclusion of the middle sundew on the list of endangered ferns and seed plants of Slovenia - defined as a threatened species. It is also protected by the Regulation on Protected Wild Plant Species.
