Utricularia L.

M. Thulin. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1–4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Distribution

Genus of about 215 species, almost cosmopolitan but mainly in the tropics.

Morphology General Habit

Vegetative parts with root-like organs (rhizoids), stems, leaves and bladder-like traps

Morphology Leaves

Leaves mostly ± in rosettes and entire in terrestrial species, ± dichotomously divided into filiform segments in aquatic species, inflated float-leaves sometimes present on peduncle in aquatic species

Morphology General Traps

Traps hollow, with a mouth usually provided with external appendages

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers in bracteate racemes

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx deeply divided into 2(–4) lobes, persistent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla with upper lip usually erect, lower lip spurred.

Lentibulariaceae, P. Taylor. Flora Zambesiaca 8:3. 1988

Morphology General Habit

Vegetative parts not clearly differentiated but consisting of stems modified to function as roots, stems, leaves and specialized organs (traps) for the capture of small organisms. Herbs, annual or perennial, terrestrial, epiphytic or aquatic.

Morphology Roots

Root-like organs (rhizoids) usually descending from the base of the inflorescence, usually filiform.

Morphology Stem

Stem-like organs (stolons) arising with the rhizoids at the inflorescence base; in the terrestrial and epiphytic species usually short and delicate but sometimes developing into fleshy tubers; in the aquatic species usually more robust and longer.

Morphology Leaves

Foliar organs (leaves) either rosulate at the inflorescence base or alternate, opposite or verticillate on the stolons; in the terrestrial and epiphytic species mostly entire, erect or thalloid, capillary, linear, circular or peltate; in the aquatic species usually more or less dichotomously divided into capillary segments.

Morphology General Traps

Traps rosulate, or lateral on the rhizoids, stolons or leaves or rarely terminal on the leaves, hollow, globose or ovoid, usually stalked, with a mouth which may be basal (adjacent to the stalk), lateral or terminal (opposite to the stalk); mouth usually provided externally with very diverse appendages.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence racemose, (but sometimes with a single flower) bracteate; peduncle usually simple, sometimes branched, usually filiform, erect or twining, usually glabrous, sometimes papillose, glandular or hairy, often provided (especially in the terrestrial species) with sterile bracts (scales); raceme usually elongated, rarely short and subcapitate; pedicels usually short, terete, flattened or more or less winged, often deflexed or decurved in fruit; bracts persistent, basifixed or produced below the point of insertion or peltate; bracteoles 2 or absent or sometimes more or less fused with the bract, inserted with the bract at the base of the pedicel or rarely with the calyx lobes at the apex of the pedicel.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx lobes 2, or rarely 4 in 2 decussate pairs, more or less equal or sometimes very unequal, usually free, sometimes more or less united at the base, persistent and usually accrescent, sometimes very markedly so; upper lobe usually entire, inferior lobe usually emarginate or bidentate, rarely both lobes dentate or fimbriate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla bilabiate, glabrous, glandular or pubescent; throat closed or sometimes open; superior lip usually more or less erect, limb entire, emarginate or bilobed; inferior lip usually larger, spurred or rarely saccate at the base, palate usually raised and gibbous, limb spreading or deflexed, entire, emarginate or more or less deeply 2–5-lobed; spur more or less parallel to the inferior lip or divergent at an acute or obtuse angle or rarely in the same plane.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 2, inserted at the base of the corolla; filaments straight or curved, usually twisted, sometimes winged; anthers dorsifixed, more or less ellipsoid, the thecae usually more or less confluent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary globose or ovoid, unilocular; style usually short, often indistinct, persistent; stigma bilabiate, inferior lip usually much larger than the upper which may be obscure or obsolete; ovules 2-many, sessile on a more or less fleshy free basal placenta, anatropous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a capsule, more or less globose or ovoid, dehiscing by longitudinal slits or by pores or circumscissile or indehiscent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 1-many, usually small or very small, globose, ovoid, truncate conical, narrowly cylindrical, fusiform, lenticular or prismatic, smooth, verrucose, reticulate, glochidiate, papillose or comose or variously winged.