Botanical name
Roridula gorgoniasFamily
RoridulaceaeCommon Name
Vlieebos, Giant FlycatcherDescription
Woody, sparingly branched shrublet 1-2m. Leaves are narrow and crowded at the tips of branches; they are bedecked with sticky resinous hairs which entrap small insects; these insects are killed and devoured by small Pameridea bugs which are specially adapted to live on the plant in a mutualistic pact. The excrement of the bugs is nitrogen-rich and absorbed through the plant leaves. Flowers are pink, up to 2cm across.
Endemic to the Cape Floral Kingdom.
Latin: ros, roris = dew: referring to the sticky hairs; gorgo, gorgonias = referring to Medusa whose head was covered with snakes instead of hair
Habitat
Damp places on mountains - river banks, bogs, marshes
Flower Date
July to October