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  4. Utricularia australis

Utricularia australis

Close up of Utricularia australis plants under water, Lake Ngakapu (1985).<br>Photographer: John S. Clayton, Licence: All rights reserved.
Herbarium specimen, locality not specified.<br>Photographer: A. J. Townsend, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Utricularia australis close up of bladders and new growth, Opuatia Wetlands.<br>Photographer: Peter J. de Lange, Date taken: 01/12/1986, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Utricularia australis close up of plant showing growth habit (plant in 10 cm of tanin stained water), Lake Rotohoka.<br>Photographer: John F. Hobbs, Date taken: 16/03/2006, Licence: All rights reserved.
Utricularia australis close up of plant showing growth habit (plant in 10 cm of tanin stained water), Lake Rotohoka.<br>Photographer: John F. Hobbs, Date taken: 16/03/2006, Licence: All rights reserved.
Utricularia australis close up of plant showing growth habit (plant in 10 cm of tanin stained water), Lake Rotohoka.<br>Photographer: John F. Hobbs, Date taken: 16/03/2006, Licence: All rights reserved.
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Common name

yellow bladderwort

Synonyms

Utricularia protrusa Hook.f., U. mairii Cheeseman

Family

Lentibulariaceae

Authority

Utricularia australis R.Br.

Flora category

Vascular – Native

Endemic taxon

Yes

Endemic genus

No

Endemic family

No

Structural class

Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites

Current conservation status

The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2017 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants.

Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – an interim threat classification status has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.

  • Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017 . 2018. Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, John W. Barkla, Shannel P. Courtney, Paul D. Champion, Leon R. Perrie, Sarah M. Beadel, Kerry A. Ford, Ilse Breitwieser, Ines Schönberger, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Peter B. Heenan and Kate Ladley. Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.

2017 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: RF, RR, SO

Previous conservation statuses

2012 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: RF, RR, SO

2009 | Threatened – Nationally Endangered | Qualifiers: RR, SO

2004 | Gradual Decline

Distribution

Indigenous. In New Zealand known only from the North Island, from Te Paki to Lake Taupo, and near Paekakariki. Also present in Australia and Europe.

Habitat

Coastal to lowland. Peat lakes, peaty pools and slow-moving streams draining peat bogs. Often found floating near or amongst spikerush (Eleocharis sphacelata R.Br.). U. australis appears to prefer shallow, still water, in sunny situations with little or no competition from other submerged aquatic plants.

Wetland plant indicator status rating

Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland). If you have suggestions for the Wetland Indicator Status Rating, please contact: [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]

OBL: Obligate Wetland

Almost always is a hydrophyte, rarely in uplands (non-wetlands).

Features

Wholly submerged, floating carnivorous aquatic plants dying down to turions (resting buds) in winter. Stems green to greenish-yellow, 400 mm or more long, filiform, sparingly branched. Leaves submerged, numerous, green to greenish-yellow, multifid 30-40 mm long, segments capillary up to 10 mm long. Bladders numerous and conspicuous, 1-4 mm long when mature, obliquely ovoid, mouth with 2 long setae, whole structure coloured dark blue to purple when mature and attached by short stalk near base of leaf segments. Inflorescence rarely seen, when present borne on a dark-green 2-4(-5)-flowered scape up to 170 mm long, this broad at base and tapering. Calyx lobes oblong to ellpitic. Flowers dark yellow sometimes with a dark orange blotch on palate. Corolla upper lip 3-lobed, lower entire, 7-9 mm wide, broad, palate protruded; spur short, obtuse. Capsule 1.5-2 mm diameter, globose. Seeds not known in New Zealand.

Similar taxa

Utricularia gibba L. is an introduced species that has smaller, less divided floating stems and entire leaves. The upper lip of the corolla in this species is entire rather than 3-lobed as is seen in U. australis. U. gibba forms massive mats floating at the water surface and is usually always flowering while U. australis produces feathery, wholly submerged, floating stems and is very rarely found flowering. New Zealand examples of the naturalised U. geminiscapa Benj. differ from U. australis by their terminal leaves bearing small hairs, the internal portions of their bladders bearing bearing quadrifid trichomes whose arms are in parallel, and by their cleistogamous flowering condition. Utricularia australis could be confused with the fully submerged, aquatic state of Myriophyllum propinquum A.Cunn., with which it sometimes grows. However, Myriophyllum can be readily distinguished from U. australis because it bears roots and the foliage lacks bladders

Flowering

Flowers, December-March(-April), though some populations may never flower.

Flower colours

Orange, Yellow

Fruiting

Seed has not yet been seen in New Zealand plants.

Propagation technique

Difficult and should not be removed from the wild.

Threats

Now seriously at risk throughout most of its northern North Island range through competition from Utricularia gibba which occupies the same habitat and has a more aggressive growth form and also by other introduced aquatic weeds. It is also vulnerable to habitat loss through modification and drainage. There is some evidence which suggests it is selectively browsed by Canadian Geese and Black Swans

Etymology

utricularia: A small bladder

australis: Southern

Where To Buy

Not commericially available.

Attribution

Fact Sheet prepared by P.J. de Lange (1 November 2008). Description based on Salmon (2001), live and herbarium specimens - see also de Lange et al. (2010).

References and further reading

de Lange, P.J.; Heenan, P.B.; Norton, D.A.; Rolfe, J.R.; Sawyer, J.W.D. 2010: Threatened Plants of New Zealand. Canterbury University Press, Christchurch.

Salmon, B. 2001: Carnivorous plants of New Zealand. Ecosphere Publications, Manurewa.

NZPCN Fact Sheet citation

Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Utricularia australis Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/utricularia-australis/ (Date website was queried)

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