Which genus has the single species Drosophyllum lusitanicum?
Answer
Drosophyllum
Answer
Drosophyllum
The genus with the single species Drosophyllum lusitanicum is Drosophyllum.
Drosophyllum lusitanicum is commonly called the Portuguese sundew or dewy pine. Unlike many carnivorous plants, it grows in relatively dry, sunny habitats rather than permanently wet bogs. Its native range spans Portugal, southwestern Spain, and northern Morocco, where it occurs in scrub, open woodland, heath, and gravelly or shale soils.
The plant catches insects on stalked glands that cover its narrow leaves. These glands secrete sticky mucilage, and the struggling prey becomes increasingly trapped. Digestive enzymes then release nutrients that supplement the poor soils in which the plant grows.
A common mix-up is treating Drosophyllum as a species name. Drosophyllum is the genus; Drosophyllum lusitanicum is its only recognized species. It was once grouped with the sundew family Droseraceae because of its sticky traps, but molecular and biochemical evidence supports the separate family Drosophyllaceae.
Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026