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 sect. Lecticula is a section in the genus Utricularia that was originally described as genus Lecticula in 1913 by John Hendley Barnhart. The two species in this section are small subaquatic carnivorous plants that are distinguished by the unique bracts, which are basifixed and tubular. Both species are native to North and South America.
Utricularia sect. Utricularia is a section in the genus Utricularia. The species in this section are suspended or affixed aquatic carnivorous plants.
Utricularia sect. Orchidioides is a section in the genus Utricularia. The species in this section are small or medium-sized terrestrial or epiphytic carnivorous plants native to Central and South America. Alphonse Pyrame de Candolle originally published this section in 1844. In 1916, John Hendley Barnhart moved the section to its own genus, Orchyllium, recognizing that the species in this section are distinct. Several other botanists, including Henry Gleason, considered the treatment of these species in the genus Orchyllium valid and moved other species from Utricularia to Orchyllium. Ultimately the species were all reunited under Utricularia.
Utricularia sect. Meionula is a section in the genus Utricularia. The four species in this section are small terrestrial carnivorous plants native to Southeast Asia and Australia. Constantine Samuel Rafinesque originally published some of the species in this section under two genera, Meionula and Trixapias, in 1838. Peter Taylor published the section as it currently stands in 1986, including three additional Australian and New Zealand species which are now circumscribed in their own section, Australes.
Utricularia sect. Steyermarkia is a section in the genus Utricularia. The three species in this section are small lithophyte carnivorous plants native to South America. Both U. aureomaculata and U. steyermarkii were previously included in U. sect. Setiscapella until Peter Taylor split them off from it in 1989 with the creation of section Steyermarkia. He did this on the basis of the very different seeds and multinerved leaves seen in these two species. Utricularia cochleata was described in 2008 and added to this section after these taxonomic shifts. This section is named in honor of Julian Alfred Steyermark.
Utricularia sect. Choristothecae is a section in the genus Utricularia. The two species in this section are very small rheophytic carnivorous plants that were formally included in section Avesicaria but were reassigned to their own section by Peter Taylor in 1989. He had included them in section Avesicaria largely because of the similar habit of the species, but the unique pollen morphology, dissimilar internal trap glands, and the anthers led Taylor to move these two species to section Choristothecae. Both species are endemic to South America, with Utricularia determannii only known from Suriname and Utricularia choristotheca located in French Guiana and Suriname.
Utricularia sect. Kamienskia is a section in the genus Utricularia. The two species in this section are very small bryophilous lithophytic carnivorous plants. Peter Taylor originally described and published the section and its single species, Utricularia peranomala, in 1986. In 2007, Guang Wan Hu described Utricularia mangshanensis and placed it in this section. Both species are endemic to China.
Utricularia sect. Mirabiles is a section in the genus Utricularia. The two species in this section are small or medium-sized rheophytic carnivorous plants. Peter Taylor originally described and published the section in 1989, splitting the two species off from section Avesicaria on the basis of the dissimilar rhizoids, traps, corolla spur, and seeds. Both species are endemic to Venezuela.
Utricularia sect. Avesicarioides is a section in the genus Utricularia. The two species in this section are small rheophytic carnivorous plants native to western Africa. Sadashi Komiya originally described and published this section in his 1973 taxonomic treatment of the genus. Peter Taylor revised and refined the section in his 1989 monograph on the genus.
Utricularia sect. Enskide is a section in the genus Utricularia. The two species in this section are small to medium-sized terrestrial carnivorous plants native to Australia and New Guinea. Constantine Samuel Rafinesque originally described and published this section as a separate genus in his 1838 taxonomic treatment. Peter Taylor refined the section and placed it within subgenus Utricularia in his 1986 monograph of the genus. Later molecular data resulted in the revision of Taylor's treatment, reinstating subgenus Bivalvaria and placing this section within it.
Utricularia sect. Stomoisia is a section in the genus Utricularia. The two species in this section are small to medium-sized terrestrial carnivorous plants native to North, Central, and South America. Constantine Samuel Rafinesque originally described and published this section as a separate genus in his 1838 taxonomic treatment. Otto Kuntze reduced the genus to its current status as a section in the genus Utricularia in 1903. Peter Taylor later refined the section, placing it in subgenus Utricularia in his 1986 monograph of the genus, also bringing one of Rafinesque's other genera, Personula, into synonymy with the new section. Later molecular data resulted in the revision of Taylor's treatment, reinstating subgenus Bivalvaria and placing this section within it.
Utricularia sect. Nigrescentes is a section in the genus Utricularia. The three species in this section are small terrestrial carnivorous plants native to tropical Africa, Asia, and Australia. Daniel Oliver originally validly described and published this section in 1859, but did not specify the rank used by the group. Sadashi Komiya revised the section in 1973. Peter Taylor, in his 1989 taxonomic monograph on the genus, placed this section within subgenus Utricularia. More recent phylogenetic data and revisions have reinstated subgenus Bivalvaria and have placed this section within it.
Utricularia sect. Aranella is a section in the genus Utricularia. The ten species in this section are small terrestrial carnivorous plants native to tropical South America with one species also extending into tropical Africa. John Hendley Barnhart originally described and published this section in 1913 as a separate genus, Aranella. Sadashi Komiya revised the genus Utricularia in a 1973 taxonomic review and placed Barnhart's genus at the rank of subgenus within Utricularia. Peter Taylor then published his taxonomic monograph of Utricularia in 1986 in which he reduced Komiya's subgenus to the rank of section, placing it within subgenus Utricularia. More recent phylogenetic data and revisions have reinstated subgenus Bivalvaria and have placed this section within it.
Utricularia sect. Calpidisca is a section in the genus Utricularia. The ten species in this section are small terrestrial carnivorous plants native to Africa with one species extending its range into Mexico and another that extends into Asia as far as India. John Hendley Barnhart originally described and published this section in 1916 as a separate genus, Calpidisca. Sadashi Komiya revised the genus Utricularia in a 1973 taxonomic review and placed Barnhart's genus at the rank of section within Utricularia. Peter Taylor then published his taxonomic monograph of Utricularia in 1986 in which he placed Komiya's section within subgenus Utricularia. More recent phylogenetic data and revisions have reinstated subgenus Bivalvaria and have placed this section within it.
Utricularia sect. Oligocista is the largest section in the genus Utricularia. The 42 species in this section are small to medium-sized terrestrial carnivorous plants native throughout the tropics, with six species in the Americas, ten in Africa, five in Australia, and the remainder in Asia, with 17 mostly native to peninsular India. Alphonse Pyrame de Candolle originally described and published this section in 1844. Peter Taylor published his taxonomic monograph of Utricularia in 1986, in which he placed this section within subgenus Utricularia. More recent phylogenetic data and revisions have reinstated subgenus Bivalvaria and have placed this section within it.
Utricularia sect. Phyllaria is a section in the genus Utricularia. The sixteen species in this section are small or very small lithophytic or epiphytic carnivorous plants native to the mountains of Asia, ranging from India to China and New Guinea. One species, Utricularia striatula, is an exception and is widespread in much of the Old World tropics. Wilhelm Sulpiz Kurz originally described and published this section as Utricularia subg. Phyllaria in 1874. Franciszek Kamieński reviewed the genus in 1891 and reduced Kunz's subgenus to a section. Later botanists, including Peter Taylor, agreed with Kamieński's assessment. In Taylor's 1986 revision of the genus, he placed this section in subgenus Utricularia. Later molecular data resulted in the revision of Taylor's treatment, reinstating subgenus Bivalvaria and placing this section within it.
Utricularia sect. Setiscapella is a section in the genus Utricularia that contains small or medium-sized terrestrial or subaquatic species. Most plants in this section are endemic to Central and South America with the exceptions of Utricularia stanfieldii, which is endemic to Africa, and Utricularia subulata which is almost pantropical. It was first described by John Hendley Barnhart in 1916 at the rank of genus. In 1973, Sadashi Komiya reduced the genus to a subgenus of the genus Utricularia. In his 1986 monograph on the genus, Peter Taylor reorganized the genus and reduced this to the rank of section.
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.
