Drosera whittakeri (scented sundew, Whittaker's sundew) is a sundew that is native to South Australia and Victoria.

Description

Plants are 4 to 8 cm in diameter, with broadly spathulate leaves arranged in a rosette. These may be green, orange-yellow or red in colour and are 10 to 15 mm long and 9 to 13 mm wide. Up to 20 white flowers are produced overall, with multiple flowers open at any one time. The main flowering period is May to November in its native range, but flowers may appear throughout the year.

Taxonomy

The species was formally described by Jules Émile Planchon in Annales des Sciences Naturelles in 1848 as Drosera "Whittakerii". The species was named after Derbyshire botanist Joseph Whittaker who collected some 300 plant specimens from Adelaide and the southern Mount Lofty Ranges to Encounter Bay between 1839 and 1840. Two subspecies are recognised by some authorities: In 2008, Allen Lowrie and John G. Conran elevated the former to species status, as Drosera aberrans. The authors also argue that Drosera praefolia should be considered a distinct species, rather than a synonym of D. whittakeri.

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