Drosera capensis

Among the many forms of D. capensis in cultivation, this one is immediately recognisable. Where the typical capensis produces long, floppy strap-shaped leaves, the Bainskloof form stays compact and stocky, with broad leaves on a short, sturdy frame. It builds a thick stem over time, giving mature plants the look of a miniature palm tree rather than the sprawling rosette most growers picture when they hear "cape sundew." In fact, its proportions and stemming habit look so unlike a pure capensis that some growers now think this is really an introgressed population, carrying genes from D. admirabilis, which shares these same Western Cape mountain slopes.

Bainskloof Pass cuts through the Limietberg mountains between Wellington and Ceres in the Western Cape, one of the oldest engineered mountain passes in South Africa, opened in 1854. The Witte River runs through the gorge, and the surrounding slopes are dense fynbos, part of the Cape Floristic Region. The plants grow along seepages and stream banks in this mountain corridor, between about 300 and 600 m elevation.

Rosettes are tight, with leaves noticeably wider than the typical form, both in petiole and blade. Green to deep red under strong light. Flowers are pink to purple on upright scapes. More erect and contained than most capensis, well suited to smaller growing spaces.