DROSERACEAE
BOTANICAL FAMILY
Definition: a family of carnivorous herbs and shrubs. This family of insectivorous plants comprises some 105 species in 4 genera. Drosera L., the largest genus, is represented in many temperate and tropical regions of the world, notably in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. These plants are usually found in acid bogs. The other 3 genera are monotypic. Aldrovanda vesiculosa L. is a free floating aquatic plant which is found in still fresh water, and ranges from central Europe through to eastern and south-eastern Asia and northern Australia. Dionaea muscipula Ellis occurs naturally only in a small region of south-eastern U.S.A., whilst Drosophyllum lusitanicum Link occurs naturally only in Portugal, southern Spain, and Morocco.
These plants are becoming increasingly popular as house and greenhouse plants because of their fascinating ability to trap and digest insects in order to supplement their nutrient intake.
An alcoholic extract of Drosera rotundifolia L., and possibly other similar species, has been used in Europe as a herbal remedy for cough (Flück 1973, Todd 1967).
Synonyms: sundew family.