Utricularia geminiscapa
Common names
bladderwort
Biostatus
Exotic
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Simplified description
Sprawling submerged plant often floating just under the waters surface, with finely divided thread-like leaves with tiny round bladders (often black).
Flower colours
Yellow
Detailed description
Perennial, free-floating aquatic, often smothering other submerged plants or floating just under the waters surface. Stolons filiform, sparingly branched; stems up to 60 cm long, c. 0.5 mm diam., terete, glabrous, internodes
Similar taxa
Utricularia australis(rare native species mostly in northern North Island) is superficially similar and at one time U. geminiscapa was mistakenly known as this species. The distribution ranges of these species do not currently overlap.
Distribution
Restricted to Westland (Westport to Haast).
Habitat
Colonises acidic shallow water in lowland bogs, fens and pakihi.
Conservation status
Not applicable
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Lentibulariaceae
Ecology
Flowering
Summer to autumn
Fruiting
Summer to autumn
Year naturalised
1975
Origin
North-eastern USA and Canada
Reason for introduction
Likely to be accidental, possibly contaminated mining machinery
Tolerances
Survives only in very wet places.
Control techniques
Not usually controlled in New Zealand.
Life cycle and dispersal
Water fowl spread seed. Accidental spread.
Other information
Etymology
utricularia: A small bladder
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
UTRGEM
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Champion et al (2012). Freshwater Pests of New Zealand. NIWA publication. http://www.niwa.co.nz/freshwater-and-estuaries/management-tools/identification-guides-and-fact-sheets/freshwater-pest-species.
Heenan, P.B.; de Lange, P.J.; Knightsbridge, P.I. (2004). Utricularia geminiscapa (Lentibulariaceae), anaturalised aquatic bladderwort in the South Island, New Zealand. NZJ Bot 24: 247-251.
Salmon, B. (2001). Carnivorous plants of New Zealand. Ecosphere Publications, Auckland. 303 pp.
Attribution
Factsheet prepared by Paul Champion and Deborah Hofstra (NIWA).