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Mauve Brazilian Carnivore. Utricularia reniformis, Brazilian Bladderwort, Utrecht University Botanic Gardens, De Uithof, Utrecht, The Netherlands

The Green House of the Utrecht University Botanic Gardens has a nice collection of carnivorous plants. I was lucky on my visit to see this Brazilian Bladderwort, Utricularia reniformis, in beautiful flower. It was discovered in Brazil by that indefatigable botanist and traveler, and moreover fine author Augustin François César Prouvençal de Saint-Hilaire (1779-1853). This afternoon I had some time to read in the account of his voyage to Brazil in 1830, in which he waxes eloquent on every aspect of his trip. Lots of anecdotes and observations about places and people and history and even anthropology, and all of this is laced with enthusiasm for the plants which he sees (and collected). This Bladderwort is one of his discoveries.

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Uploaded on May 27, 2015
Taken on May 7, 2015