Monday, October 10, 2016

Hibernaculum!


Day 363: Today was a memorable day in the career of this naturalist. I paid the Lake St. Clair Sundews a chilly visit and found one...only one of many...starting to form a hibernaculum. This phase of Drosera rotundifolia's lfe cycle is one I had not been privileged to observe until today. The buds of new laminae ("paddles") will remain tightly curled until spring and the outer ones will die back. This unusual adaptation demonstrates this insectivore's winter survival strategy for conserving precious warmth during freezing temperatures.


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