Drosera oblanceolata

China's only endemic sundew. Formally described in 1981, D. oblanceolata had spent decades misidentified as the cosmopolitan D. spatulata, which it closely resembles. Together with D. ultramafica from the Philippines, these are the only two Drosera found exclusively in Asia. Both share the unusual habit of holding their leaves semi-upright rather than flat against the ground, which may help them intercept fog and dew in their cloud-swept habitats.

This is the form from Sunset Peak (869 m) on Lantau Island, Hong Kong's largest island. Above the tree line, the landscape opens into windswept grassland with scattered rocky outcrops, frequently wrapped in cloud. The plants grow in exposed spots among sparse grass and eroded soil, drawing their moisture mainly from rain and mist rather than from seepage or streams.

Rosettes reach about 8 cm across, with narrow, upright leaves forming a distinctive crown-like shape quite different from the flat rosettes of D. spatulata. Green to deep red under strong light. Flowers are pink on thin, wiry scapes from spring to summer. Where the two species meet on Lantau, they hybridise freely: D. sp. "Lantau Island" is a stabilised form of that cross.