A free-floating aquatic carnivorous plant with tiny bladder-like traps that suck in microscopic prey. Yellow flowers float above the water on stalks.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
Utricularia macrorhiza, the common bladderwort, is a perennial suspended aquatic carnivorous plant that belongs to the genus Utricularia. U. macrorhiza is native to North America and eastern temperate Asia.
Source: Wikipedia — Utricularia macrorhiza Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Submerged aquatic plant; finely divided leaves bear tiny round bladders; yellow snapdragon-like flowers above water on stalks.
Similar species. Other Utricularia species (multiple US species). Other aquatic plants (no bladders).
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. N/A — photosynthesis
Behavior. Aquatic carnivorous plant. Tiny bladders along stems suction small aquatic prey (zooplankton, mosquito larvae) — one of the most rapid plant movements known, capturing prey in milliseconds.
§ Range
Across North America
§ Habitat
Ponds, swamps, slow water bodies
§ Threats
Water-quality decline, lake-level changes.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the common bladderwort is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Support clean lake water. Don't release aquarium plants.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Utricularia macrorhiza
- www.nwf.org — authoritative profile of Utricularia macrorhiza
- iNaturalist · taxon 52789
- IUCN Red List — search for Utricularia macrorhiza
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Utricularia macrorhiza
§ Sources cited
- International Carnivorous Plant Society
- USDA Plants Database
