Drosera androsacea, the Cone Sundew is a pygmy Drosera endemic from Western Australia. This perrenial is forming flat open rosettes, up to 8 mm in diameter. The flowers are white or pink, with purplish veins. It flowers in September and October. It 's an insectivorous plant, it can survive in nitrogen poor soils because it gets the nutrients it needs from insects. The upper surfaces of leaves are covered with hairs that secrete a sweet sticky substance. This attracts insects, which become smeared with it and unable to escape. The plant then exudes a digestive fluid that enables it to absorb most of the insect into its system. Another startling feature of the Pygmy Sundews are their size. Normally the plants grow to a maximum diameter of half an inch. Although some people are put off by their size, their beauty lie in numbers. Because of the gemmae, the plants quickly cover the growing area, forming dense mats of red-green leaves. The leaves, curl around any captured prey like a fist. Pygmy Sundews differ from the rest of their species, because of their ability to form gemmae. These are flat, round bodies which form in the center of the plant. They are basically seed, although they don't need to be pollinated. The germination rate is far higher than that of seed. Also gemmae grow into mature plants very quickly. Because of the plants producing lots of gemmae, these plants are very easy to grow and propagate. When the plants are forming gemmae, brush the gemmae off with a soft paintbrush onto a paper towel. Even if you don't want any new plants it is best to do this, because if you don't your plants will become over crowded and become and easy target for pests. Hardiness zones 8-10, (-10øC/15øF, 1øC/35øF) in Winter. The plants should have hot and dry Summers and cool and wet Winters. They should be grown in bright light, but with protection from full midday sun. Temperatures should be kept between 20øC/68øF, 25øC / 80øF. In cloudy coastal areas, artificial light is a must. Drosera androsacea grows in stony, sandy loam or clayey soils, in the middle of brush-wood. Drosera androsacea have very long roots and grow best in pots 15-20 cm deep. Use a standard peat moss/sand which can be anything from 30% to 100% peat moss. There's no need to fertilize, as the plant relies on insects for food. Requires consistently moist soil in Winter; do not let dry out between waterings. During Summer the plant becomes dormant and should be given just enough water to keep the lower half of the pot damp while the top half is kept dry. Water must be distilled or rain water because they do not tolerate city or hard water.