Utricularia macrorhiza, the common bladderwort,[3] is a perennial suspended aquatic carnivorous plant that belongs to the genus Utricularia. U. macrorhiza is native to North America and eastern temperate Asia.[4]
| Utricularia macrorhiza | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Lentibulariaceae |
| Genus: | Utricularia |
| Subgenus: | Utricularia subg. Utricularia |
| Section: | Utricularia sect. Utricularia |
| Species: | U. macrorhiza
|
| Binomial name | |
| Utricularia macrorhiza | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
|
List
| |
Description
editU. macrorhiza is a floating plant with six to twenty large, bilaterally symmetrical, yellow flowers that appear in June, July, and August, and are held on an erect stem.[5] U. macrorhiza is distinguished from other similar species by its flowers, which are larger than those found on any other bladderwort.[5]
The bladders which give common bladderwort its name are used to trap and consume prey.[5] Small organisms trigger the hairs on the pores of the bladder as they brush against it, causing the pore to open inward, allowing a rush of water into the bladder which pulls the prey in as well.[5] The pore immediately closes behind the prey, which is then digested by enzymes within the bladder.[5] The process of trapping the prey from opening to closing the pore takes place in 0.002 seconds.[5] If large prey becomes stuck in the pore, the prey is digested by the enzymes bit by bit until the pore closes again.[5]
Distribution
editIn North America, U. macrorhiza is found throughout the United States and Canada.[3][5] In this range, it is found mostly in ponds and lakes, but also in slow-moving streams and rivers.[5] It shares the northern half of its range with a similar, related species, U. minor, lesser bladderwort.[3]
See also
editReferences
edit
- ^ NatureServe (6 December 2024). "Utricularia macrorhiza". NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
- ^ "Utricularia macrorhiza Leconte". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
- ^ a b c NRCS. "Utricularia macrorhiza". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 2008-12-28.
- ^ Taylor, Peter. (1989). The genus Utricularia - a taxonomic monograph. Kew Bulletin Additional Series XIV: London.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin". www.wildflower.org. Retrieved 2018-10-16.
External links
edit
 | This Lentibulariaceae article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |