FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Ok, so I've been doing some reading on Binatas and stumbled upon something in this article: Carnivorous Plant Newsletter from 1984.

It states that d. binata multifida has from six to eight leaf divisions (points) per leaf whereas d. binata multifida extrema can have over thirty leaf divisions. The plant that I have has eight divisions, though I thought it was an "extrema"...I have one mother plant that is recovering from some *very* hard times, it probably has a half dozen smallish leaves at the moment. The other binatas are yearling plants started from leaf cuttings from the mother plant and have leaves roughly five to six inches wide and with eight points. Could these plants, as they grow and as the mother plant regains its size, put on more than the current eight leaf divisions to warrant the "extrema" suffix? Here's a (not exactly great) picture of a clone of the mother plant.

Thinking back to a better time in the mother plant's life, I don't recall whether it had eight or more divisions...it was big and the leaves kind of intermingled (as binatas do) and I really never thought to count leaf divisions/points.

I think it depends on the age and growing conditions. My multifida extrema currently only has 3 leaf divisions, because it died back after I forgot to water it, and regrew from the roots. But at its prime it probably had 9 + leaf divisions. Under ideal growing conditions, I'm sure it will have many more forks per leaf. And this is the Cal Carn clone so I'm sure it has the correct ID.

In the wild these plants form many leaf divisions - up to 77+, but usually not in cultivation.
https://www.fierceflora.com/drosera-bin ... 77-points/

So when you are talking about "growth points" on various Drosera, do you mean the tip of each "stem" for lack of knowing what to call them?


Check out the links within the link. Some very cool information and pics there.
Edit: The more I look, the more great info I am finding within the one link you provided. Thank you for that. VERY informative.

thepitchergrower wrote: ↑Tue Nov 21, 2023 5:41 pm I think it depends on the age and growing conditions. My multifida extrema currently only has 3 leaf divisions, because it died back after I forgot to water it, and regrew from the roots. But at its prime it probably had 9 + leaf divisions. Under ideal growing conditions, I'm sure it will have many more forks per leaf. And this is the Cal Carn clone so I'm sure it has the correct ID.

In the wild these plants form many leaf divisions - up to 77+, but usually not in cultivation.
https://www.fierceflora.com/drosera-bin ... 77-points/

Thanks for sharing your experience. My mother plant is basically at the stage of yours and because of the same reason...drought (caused by me! ). It was looking really good and then boom...had to be out of town a couple of days during the heat of the summer. It went from most leaves dying back, then to profusely sending up flower stalks with no leaves present, to sprout one small leaf which prompted me to mow down all flower stalks. I then repotted it in some nice fresh grow mix and in a larger container. Then I ceremoniously dumped it on the floor causing it to land upside down with the pot and all the grow mix on top of it. So, I repotted it *again* and then picked perlite and peat moss off of it. I don't think it had dew drop on it after I got through...but, the next day it did and it's been looking better and better!!! It's got four or five leaves on it now and each one has four divisions...so far. I'm hoping for more. The kind lady that sent me this plant said that the mother plant to it was a real monster so we'll see how it does after recuperating from it's rough spell...it and the clones.

Thanks for the link, too, some good information in there.

andynorth wrote: ↑Tue Nov 21, 2023 6:39 pm So when you are talking about "growth points" on various Drosera, do you mean the tip of each "stem" for lack of knowing what to call them?
Check out the links within the link. Some very cool information and pics there.
Edit: The more I look, the more great info I am finding within the one link you provided. Thank you for that. VERY informative.

Each leaf grows out at the end of the petiole/stem and develops "points"...that's what I'm calling leaf divisions.

It changes on amount of light. Mine in full sun stays smaller but in more shade leafs get so big.

Extrema is just a form of multifida, and multifida is a variety of binata. Just like Narrow Leaf is a form of capensis, and spatulata has many varieties, spatulata var gympiensis for example.
Generally, binata var multifida is understood to have up to 16 points. If it goes beyond 16, it is considered to be the extrema form of binata var multifida. Technically they're the same plant, there's just some gene being expressed in the extrema form that allows for more points, and the proper label should be D. binata var multifida f. extrema, we've just bombed the "f." out of the name somewhere.
Personally, my var multifida has had up to 12 points, but it takes all summer to produce just a few like that. While my f. extrema pushed out a 20 pointer about two weeks after I got it, then slowed down to 8 and 10 pointers.

I believe my D. binata multifida f extrema came from California Carnivores so I'm reasonably certain of its ID.
It usually runs at least 16 points, well past 32 points on many leaves.
Here are two shots of my plant today.
I have it growing under some cheap LED shoplights.

Impressive plants, Mike! I believe the binata that I have will eventually prove itself out as being an "extrema". Thinking back to my mother plant, it seems that when it was doing really good it had more leaf divisions that what it and its clones have right now. I'll have to run back through some old messages, but I think the lady that I got it from termed it an "extrema" and she knows way more than I do!!! I guess I'll just have to wait until this leaf story unfolds.

I think I just had "newbie googleitis brain phart". I checked the day before yesterday and the mother plant must of heard me talking about the eight-leaf-division "line of demarcation" because, even in her recuperating state popped a 9th division out on one of her leafs!!!! Extrema it is!!!!