Utricularia, commonly and collectively called the bladderworts, is a genus of carnivorous plants consisting of approximately 233 species. They occur in fresh water and wet soil as terrestrial or aquatic species across every continent except Antarctica. Utricularia are cultivated for their flowers, which are often compared with those of snapdragons and orchids, especially amongst carnivorous plant enthusiasts.
Utricularia subulata, the zigzag bladderwort, is a small annual, terrestrial carnivorous plant that belongs to the genus Utricularia. It is the most widely distributed species in the genus, being almost pantropical.
Utricularia inflata, commonly known as the swollen bladderwort, inflated bladderwort, or large floating bladderwort, is a large suspended aquatic carnivorous plant that belongs to the genus Utricularia. It is a perennial that is native to the southeastern coastal plains of the United States. It has often been confused with U. radiata, which is similar but smaller than U. inflata. Since 1980, U. inflata has been reported to exist in locations beyond its traditional range, such as the Adirondack Mountains in New York, southeastern Massachusetts, and in Washington State. Studies on the populations in the Adirondacks suggest that an introduction of U. inflata to a location where it naturalizes can lead to altered sediment chemistry by reducing the net primary productivity of native species. It is also listed by the state of Washington as a problematic species because of the dense mat-forming habit of this aquatic Utricularia. It is one of the few carnivorous plants that can be invasive.
Utricularia inflexa is a medium to large sized suspended aquatic carnivorous plant that belongs to the genus Utricularia. It is probably a perennial plant. U. inflexa is endemic to Africa and the Indian subcontinent.
Utricularia intermedia, the flatleaf bladderwort or intermediate bladderwort is a small, perennial carnivorous plant that belongs to the genus Utricularia. It is usually found affixed to the substrate but it can also survive suspended in a body of water. U. intermedia is a circumboreal species and is found in North America, Asia, and Europe.
Utricularia ochroleuca, the yellowishwhite bladderwort, pale bladderwort, or cream-flowered bladderwort, is a small, perennial carnivorous plant that belongs to the genus Utricularia. It is usually found affixed to the substrate. U. ochroleuca is a circumboreal species and is found in North America, Asia, and Europe.
Utricularia radiata, the little floating bladderwort, is a medium-sized suspended aquatic carnivorous plant that belongs to the genus Utricularia. U. radiata is endemic to North America.
Utricularia purpurea, the eastern purple bladderwort, is a medium-sized suspended aquatic carnivorous plant that belongs to the genus Utricularia. U. purpurea is endemic to North and Central America. It has been suggested that U. purpurea may have partially lost its appetite for carnivory. Richards (2001) did an extensive study in the field on it and noted that trapping rates of the usual Utricularia prey were significantly lower than in other species in the genus. Richards concludes that this species can still trap and digest arthropod prey in its specialized bladder traps, but does so sparingly. Instead, it harbors a community of algae, zooplankton, and debris in the bladders that indicates U. purpurea favors a mutualistic interaction in place of a predator–prey relationship.
Utricularia unifolia is a medium-sized perennial carnivorous plant that belongs to the genus Utricularia. U. unifolia is native to Central America and western South America. It was originally published and described by Hipólito Ruiz López and José Antonio Pavón Jiménez in 1797 and later considered a synonym of Utricularia alpina until Peter Taylor's 1989 monograph on the genus where he restored the species as distinct from U. alpina. It grows as a terrestrial or epiphytic plant on moss-covered trees, rocks, or banks in cloud forests at altitudes between 2,000 m (6,562 ft) and 3,000 m (9,843 ft). U. unifolia usually produces only one leaf, which is where the species epithet "unifolia" is derived from.
Utricularia podadena is a small, probably perennial, terrestrial carnivorous plant that belongs to the genus Utricularia and is the only member of Utricularia sect. Candollea. U. podadena is endemic to Malawi and Mozambique, being known only from the type location in Malawi and from one other collection in Mozambique. As of Peter Taylor's 1989 monograph on the genus, more recent efforts to locate this species have failed. It was originally published and described by Taylor in 1964 and placed in its own section, Candollea, in 1986. It grows as a terrestrial plant in marshy grasslands in the presence of Loudetia species at altitudes of around 1,000 m (3,281 ft). It flowers in July. It is a very distinct plant in the genus with the long stipitate glandular trichomes covering the flower. Its affinities within the genus are not clear.
Utricularia geoffrayi is a small, probably perennial, terrestrial carnivorous plant that belongs to the genus Utricularia. U. geoffrayi is native to Indochina and can be found in Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam. It was originally published and described by François Pellegrin in 1920. It grows as a terrestrial plant among short grasses in or around rice fields at altitudes from sea level to 1,300 m (4,265 ft). It has been collected in flower between September and December.
Peter Geoffrey Taylor (1926–2011) was a British botanist who worked at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew throughout his career in botany. Taylor was born in 1926 and joined the staff of the herbarium at Kew in 1948. He published his first new species, Utricularia pentadactyla, in 1954. In 1973, Taylor was appointed curator of the orchid division of the herbarium and, according to Kew, "under his direction, orchid taxonomy was revitalised and its horticultural contacts strengthened."
Utricularia cornuta, the horned bladderwort, is a small to medium-sized, probably perennial carnivorous plant that belongs to the genus Utricularia. U. cornuta is endemic to North America and can be found in the Bahamas, Cuba, Canada, and the United States. It grows as a terrestrial or subaquatic plant in marshes, swamps, and pools in shallow waters, mostly at lower altitudes. It was originally described and published by André Michaux in 1803.
Utricularia juncea, the southern bladderwort, is a small to medium sized, probably perennial carnivorous plant that belongs to the genus Utricularia. U. juncea is native to Central, South, and North America. It grows as a terrestrial plant in marshes, swamps, and pools in shallow waters, mostly at lower altitudes. It was originally described and published by Martin Vahl in 1804.
Utricularia longeciliata is a small to medium-sized perennial carnivorous plant that belongs to the genus Utricularia. U. longeciliata is endemic to South America, where it can be found in Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela. It grows as a terrestrial plant in damp, sandy soils at altitudes from near sea level to 1,400 m (4,593 ft). It flowers throughout the year in its native range. U. longeciliata was originally described and published by Alphonse Pyrame de Candolle in 1844.
Utricularia simulans, the fringed bladderwort, is a small to medium-sized, probably perennial, carnivorous plant that belongs to the genus Utricularia. U. simulans is native to tropical Africa and the Americas. It grows as a terrestrial plant in damp, sandy soils in open savanna at altitudes from near sea level to 1,575 m (5,167 ft). U. simulans was originally described and published by Robert Knud Friedrich Pilger in 1914.
Utricularia arenaria is a small annual carnivorous plant that belongs to the genus Utricularia. It is native to tropical and southern Africa, where it can be found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. There has also been a single collection from central India in Madhya Pradesh. U. arenaria grows as a terrestrial plant in damp, sandy or peaty soils in swampy grasslands or marshes at altitudes from near sea level to 2,400 m (7,874 ft). It was originally described and published by Alphonse Pyrame de Candolle in 1844.
Utricularia striatula is a small carnivorous plant that belongs to the genus Utricularia. It is widespread from tropical Africa to New Guinea. U. striatula grows as a lithophyte or epiphyte on wet rocks or tree trunks at altitudes from near sea level to 3,300 m (10,827 ft). It was originally described by James Edward Smith in 1819.
The Genus Utricularia: A Taxonomic Monograph is a monograph by Peter Taylor on the carnivorous plant genus Utricularia, the bladderworts. It was published in 1989 by Her Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO) as the fourteenth entry in the Kew Bulletin Additional Series. It was reprinted for The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in 1994.
