Very similar to the Oblong-leaved Sundew but more frequent, this plant is also found throughout Ireland on boggy ground and wet heaths. Also rarely attaining a height of more than 20cm, it carries its little white 5-petalled flowers (5mm) in short spikes well above the sticky leaves. They bloom from June to August. These leaves are round, red, 1cm across, have long stalks and fan out in a rosette. The leaves have hairs with a little drop of 'dew' at the end of each hair; in fact the 'dew' is more likely 'glue' and the insects get badly stuck, the leaf rolling over, trapping them in before going on to digest them. In a habitat such as bogs and damp heaths there is little food for this plant which is why it has modified its behaviour to get its nutritional needs filled in this manner. This is a native plant and it belongs to the family Droseraceae.
The first record of this plant is on Djouce, Co Wicklow in 1980. I photographed it on a hillside near Sneem, Co Kerry in 2008.
If you are satisfied you have correctly identified this plant, please submit your sighting to the National Biodiversity Data Centre
