Carnivory
Just a small section of hundreds on the edge of a swamp. Northern Territory. These plants have the very unromantic common name of Bladderworts. They are Utricularia leptoplectra but they do look nice.
Utricularia (you-trick-you-lair-ee-a) or ‘bladderworts’ as they are commonly known, are an intriguing genus of herbs common in the Top End of the Territory. Thirty-six described species, over a half of Australia’s taxa, can be found in the Darwin region. Some species are quite conspicuous due to their abundance and colourful flowers, however many are very small and cryptic. The stem and flower of a recently described species, U. simmonsii, is scarcely larger than a pinhead. The small stature of Utricularia species shrouds a deceptive and remarkable aspect of the genus; the ability to ‘prey’ on living organisms. Carnivory in Utricularia Tiny sacs attached to the ‘roots’ and stems of the plants are complex traps with the ability to catch and digest microscopic aquatic animals. A door and hinge seal the inside of the trap under negative pressure to the surrounding water (a vacuum). Trigger hairs on the outside act as levers and mechanically break the vacuum when touched, sucking in surrounding water and its prey.
Info courtesy of www.nretas.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/11020/Ut...
Carnivory
Just a small section of hundreds on the edge of a swamp. Northern Territory. These plants have the very unromantic common name of Bladderworts. They are Utricularia leptoplectra but they do look nice.
Utricularia (you-trick-you-lair-ee-a) or ‘bladderworts’ as they are commonly known, are an intriguing genus of herbs common in the Top End of the Territory. Thirty-six described species, over a half of Australia’s taxa, can be found in the Darwin region. Some species are quite conspicuous due to their abundance and colourful flowers, however many are very small and cryptic. The stem and flower of a recently described species, U. simmonsii, is scarcely larger than a pinhead. The small stature of Utricularia species shrouds a deceptive and remarkable aspect of the genus; the ability to ‘prey’ on living organisms. Carnivory in Utricularia Tiny sacs attached to the ‘roots’ and stems of the plants are complex traps with the ability to catch and digest microscopic aquatic animals. A door and hinge seal the inside of the trap under negative pressure to the surrounding water (a vacuum). Trigger hairs on the outside act as levers and mechanically break the vacuum when touched, sucking in surrounding water and its prey.
Info courtesy of www.nretas.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/11020/Ut...