Utricularia stellaris L.f.

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

Morphology General Habit

Aquatic herb.

Vegetative Multiplication Stolons

Stolons up to 1 m. ×2.5 mm., terete, smooth and glabrous; internodes 5–20 mm.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves very numerous, digitately divided into 3–6 primary segments and usually auricled at the base; primary segments 1–6 cm. long, pinnately divided; rhachis filiform or more or less inflated, up to 2 mm. thick; pinnae repeatedly dichotomously forked; ultimate segments capillary, minutely setulose; auricles more or less deeply divided into ciliate filiform segments.

Morphology General Floats

Floats verticillate or subverticillate on the upper half of the peduncle, 5–7, inflated, ellipsoid, 0.5–2 cm. long, bearing a few reduced leaf-segments at the apex.

Morphology General Traps

Traps usually numerous, lateral near the base of the ultimate and penultimate leaf segments, broadly ovoid, shortly stalked, 1–3 mm. long; mouth lateral, naked or with 2 dorsal short simple or sparsely branched hairs and with a few ventral short simple hairs.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence erect, lateral, 3–30 cm. high; flowers 2–16, more or less congested at anthesis; inflorescence-axis elongating with maturity; filiform, straight, smooth and glabrous; scales absent; bracts basifixed, broadly ovate, 2–3 mm. long; bracteoles absent; pedicels filiform, erect or spreading at anthesis, 1.5–5 mm. long, deflexed or decurved and more or less elongating and thickening in fruit.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx-lobes subequal, broadly ovate, decurrent, more or less 3 mm. long at anthesis, up to 5 mm. and reflexed in fruit; upper lobe with apex rounded; lower lobe with apex truncate or emarginate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla yellow, usually with reddish lines on the palate, 7–10 mm. long, more or less densely covered externally with glandular hairs; superior lip broadly ovate, 1.5–2 times as long as the upper calyx lobe, with apex truncate or emarginate; inferior lip circular or oblate, truncate, emarginate or 3-crenate; palate raised, bigibbous; spur cylindrical, more or less as long as the inferior tip.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Filaments linear, dilated above; anther-thecae subdistinct.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary globose; style short but distinct; stigma inferior lip semi-circular, ciliolate, superior very short or obsolete.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule globose, circumscissile, more or less 5 mm. in diam. with the style more or less elongated.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds numerous, prismatic, 4–6 angled, more or less 3 times as wide as high, usually narrowly winged on the angles; testa cells distinct, elongated more or less 0.1 mm. long.