Roridula gorgonias

Southern Dewstick

Roridula gorgonias, the Southern Dewstick, is an enormous carnivorous plant found in the Southern Coastal mountains from Betty’s Bay to Stanford with a few inland spots. Growing up to 1m tall or more, R. gorgonias stands far above most sundews, forming a small shrubby bush of woody stems topped with sprawling rosettes of thin leaves. Unlike sundews the mucilage of Roridula is resinous and non-digestive, instead relying on symbiotic Pameridea assassin bugs to consume prey and excrete nutrients onto the plant.

This species grows in relatively wet soils on the coastal mountains where it frequently experiences strong winds, fogs, and fire that periodically clears the habitat.