Drosera L.
Sundew
The following species have been reported to contain plumbagin (Krishnamoorthy & Thomson 1969, Zenk et al. 1969, Thomson 1971):
D. anglica Hudson
D. auriculata Backh.
D. binata Labill.
(syn. Drosera dichotoma Banks & Sol.)
D. capensis L.
D. cistiflora L.
D. indica L.
D. intermedia Hayne
D. longifolia L.
D. peltata Smith
(syn. Drosera lunata Buch.-Ham.)
D. rotundifolia L.
D. whitakeri Planchon
D. ramentacea Burchell
(syn. Drosera madagascariensis DC.)
The common or round-leaved sundew (D. rotundifolia) has been used to remove warts, corns, keratoses, and freckles in eastern (Piffard 1881, White 1887) and western North America (Turner & Bell 1971). Culpepper (1653) claimed that application of the leaves of D. rotundifolia to the skin raises blisters. The crushed leaves of D. indica and D. peltata have also been described as vesicant (Behl et al. 1966, Nadkarni 1976).
The crushed leaves of Drosera L. species have been described as rubefacient and vesicant. The skin irritant activity may be attributable to plumbagin and related naphthoquinones. There is also a theoretical risk of dermatitis caused by the proteolytic enzymes secreted by these plants in order to digest their prey