Swollen bladderwort facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Swollen bladderwort |
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| 1913 illustration | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Utricularia
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| Species: |
inflata
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| Current distribution of U. inflata. Location information gathered from Peter Taylor's 1989 monograph and the USDA PLANTS database. | |
| Synonyms | |
Utricularia inflata, also known as the swollen bladderwort, is a large carnivorous plant. It floats in water and belongs to the Utricularia family. This plant is a perennial, meaning it lives for more than two years. It naturally grows in the southeastern United States.
Sometimes, U. inflata is mistaken for U. radiata, which looks similar but is smaller. Since the 1980s, U. inflata has been found in new places. These include the Adirondack Mountains in New York, southeastern Massachusetts, and Washington State. When U. inflata grows in new areas, it can sometimes become an invasive plant. This means it can harm native plants and change the environment.
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What is Utricularia inflata?
Utricularia inflata is one of the bigger floating water plants in its family. Like all Utricularia plants that live in water, it does not have true roots or leaves. Its main "stems" are called thread-like stolons. These stolons can grow very long, sometimes over one meter. They are thin, only about 1 to 2 millimeters thick.
The plant also has many thread-like structures that look like leaves. These are not true leaves, but they help the plant. They can be 2 to 18 centimeters long. Small, oval-shaped traps grow on these structures. These traps are 1 to 3 millimeters long and are very numerous.
How Does Utricularia inflata Grow and Flower?
In its natural home, U. inflata can start to flower in January and keep flowering until June. When it flowers, it creates a special floating structure. This structure looks like a wheel with spokes and floats on the water's surface. It is often called a "float."
The float usually has 6 to 8 spokes, but sometimes 5 to 10. Each spoke can be 3 to 10 centimeters long. From the center of this float, tall flower stalks grow up. These stalks are 20 to 50 centimeters long. They usually have 9 to 14 bright yellow flowers. These flowers have brown veins and markings.
The plant's cells usually have 18 chromosomes. Some larger groups of U. inflata have 36 chromosomes. These larger plants can be twice the size of the regular ones.
Where Does Utricularia inflata Live?
Utricularia inflata is native to the southeastern United States. It is found in states like Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. It also grows in Connecticut, Maryland, Michigan, New York, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania.
In some states, like Maryland, Michigan, and New York, U. inflata is considered an endangered or threatened species. This means there are concerns about its numbers in those areas.
This plant lives in watery places like lakes, ditches, and swamps. It can grow in both shallow and deep water at low elevations.
Why is Utricularia inflata Sometimes a Problem?
Since the 1980s, U. inflata has been found growing outside its native areas. It has spread to Washington State, New York, and Massachusetts. Sometimes, people accidentally move the plant to new places. Other times, birds like waterfowl or herons might carry small pieces of the plant to new lakes.
How U. inflata Affects Other Plants
In places like the Adirondack Mountains in New York, U. inflata has grown a lot. In some lakes, it became the most common plant. This rapid growth is similar to other invasive water plants. When U. inflata grows very thick, it can block sunlight from reaching native plants. This can make it hard for other plants to grow.
For example, U. inflata can harm plants like Eriocaulon aquaticum. This native plant helps put oxygen into the lake's mud. If U. inflata stops Eriocaulon aquaticum from growing, it can change the water's chemistry. This might lead to more algae growth and other problems for the lake's ecosystem.
U. inflata's Impact on People
In Washington State, U. inflata was found in Horseshoe Lake in 1980. It was likely introduced when someone threw out an aquarium plant. In areas where it grows, U. inflata forms thick floating mats. These mats can make it hard for people to enjoy activities like swimming or boating.
Some communities, like those around Lake Limerick, spend a lot of money each summer to remove these dense mats. People have tried different ways to control the plant. These include using sonar to disrupt it, introducing grass carp (a type of fish that eats plants), and removing it by hand. Washington State considers U. inflata a problematic plant. It is on a special list, meaning it is illegal to sell it there.
Most carnivorous plants need very specific conditions to grow well. This often makes them rare or endangered. But U. inflata can grow in many different places. This shows it can handle a wider range of environments than many other carnivorous plants.
Growing Utricularia inflata
Many people who like carnivorous plants enjoy growing Utricularia inflata. It is one of the easier floating water plants to grow. This is because it grows quickly and does not need a resting period (dormancy).
Some growers even use U. inflata to help grow other, more difficult plants. For example, Aldrovanda vesiculosa is very sensitive to too many nutrients in the water. If U. inflata is grown with it, U. inflata will quickly use up extra nutrients. This creates better conditions for Aldrovanda vesiculosa to thrive.
It is believed that growing U. inflata as a hobby led to its introduction in Horseshoe Lake, Washington. Once in a lake, birds moving between lakes likely helped it spread further.
How We Learned About Utricularia inflata
The plant Utricularia inflata was first named and described by Thomas Walter in 1788. For a long time, U. inflata was often confused with Utricularia radiata. This was because they look similar and grow in some of the same areas.
In 1860, Alvan Wentworth Chapman first described U. radiata as a smaller version of U. inflata. Later, in 1903, John Kunkel Small said U. radiata should be its own species. Scientists continued to study these two plants. Finally, in 1989, Peter Taylor wrote an important book about the Utricularia family. His work clearly showed that U. inflata and U. radiata are indeed two different species.
