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- Utricularia geminiscapa
Utricularia geminiscapa — mixed bladderwort
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Facts
Mixed bladderwort is confined to Northeastern North America, and recently naturalized in New Zealand. Its common name refers to the fact that it produces two types of flowers, those that open and can exchange pollen with other plants (chasmogamous) and those that remain closed, transferring its own pollen to the stigma inside (cleistogamous). Both types of flower can create viable seeds.
Habitat
Bogs, fens, lacustrine (in lakes or ponds), shores of rivers or lakes
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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Characteristics
- Habitat
-
- aquatic
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Leaf position
-
- some of the leaves are floating at the surface of the water
- the leaves are all submerged underwater
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade length
- 10–20 mm
- Petal or sepal number
-
- there are five petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- there are two petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- Petal color
- yellow
- Specific leaf type
- the leaf is divided into two equal parts which in turn are divided into two further parts; each of these parts are divided and each of these may be further divided
- Floating leaf shape
-
- the leaf blade is orbicular (roughly circular, as wide as long)
- the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)
- Underwater leaf blade width
- 10–35 mm
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
- Underwater leaf length
- 10–20 mm
-
Flowers
- Anther color
- there is a noticeable pink, reddish or purplish tint to the anthers
- Carpels fused
- the carpels are fused to one another
- Flower lower lip length
- 0–8 mm
- Flower number
- 1–8
- Flower position
-
- the flowers are above the surface of the water
- the flowers are below the surface of the water
- Flower symmetry
- there is only one way to evenly divide the flower (the flower is bilaterally symmetrical)
- Inflorescence type
-
- the inflorescence has only one flower on it
- the inflorescence is a raceme (a long unbranched stem with stalked flowers growing along it)
- Length of flower stalk
- 5–15 mm
- Length of peduncle
- 5–250 mm
- Nectar spur
- the flower has nectar spurs
- Number of carpels
- 2
- Ovary position
- the sepals and/or petals are attached below the ovary
- Palate on corolla
-
- no
- yes
- Petal and sepal arrangement
-
- the flower includes only one cycle of petals or sepals
- the flower includes two cycles of petal- or sepal-like structures
- Petal appearance
- the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)
- Petal color
- yellow
- Petal fringed edges
- the petals are not fringed
- Petal fusion
- the perianth parts are fused to form a tube, cup, or bell shape
- Petal hairs on inner/upper surface
- there are no hairs on the inner/upper petal surface
- Petal length
- 5–8 mm
- Petal number
- 0–5
- Petal or sepal number
-
- there are five petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- there are two petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- Pistil number
- 1
- Sepal appearance
- the sepals resemble leaves in color and texture
- Sepal number
- 2
- Sepals fused only to sepals
- the sepals are separate from one another
- Stamen number
- 1 or 2
- Stamen position relative to petals
- NA
- Stamens fused
- the stamens are not fused to one another
- Stamens fused to petals
- the stamens are fused near the bases of the petals or tepals
- Style length
- At least 0 mm
- Style number
- 0–1
-
Fruits or seeds
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is a capsule (splits along two or more seams, apical teeth or pores when dry, to release two or more seeds)
-
Glands or sap
- Oil glands on nodes
- none of the nodes have oil glands
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
-
Growth form
- Lifespan
-
- the plant lives more than two years
- the plant lives only a single year or less
- Root septa
- the roots do not have transverse septa
- Roots floating in water
- there are no clusters of roots floating in the water
- Turions
- the plant has turions
- Underground organs
- NA
-
Leaves
- Bract position (Sparganium)
- NA
- Bract relative length
- At least 1379 mm
- Bracts
- the flowers or their pedicels have bracts at their bases
- Floating leaf basal lobes
- no
- Floating leaf blade width
- 10–35 mm
- Floating leaf length
- 0 mm
- Floating leaf shape
-
- the leaf blade is orbicular (roughly circular, as wide as long)
- the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)
- Floating leaf tip
- the tip of the floating leaf blade is rounded, with no point
- Floral bract form
- the bracts are much more lobed, or much less lobed, than the foliage leaves
- Floral bract length
- 2–3 mm
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade length
- 10–20 mm
- Leaf blade veins
- the lateral veins radiate from the base and continue to spread away from the centerline of the leaf, or branch off the central vein at intervals
- Leaf blade width
- 10–35 mm
- Leaf position
-
- some of the leaves are floating at the surface of the water
- the leaves are all submerged underwater
- Leaf special features
- the leaves have bladder-like traps
- Leaf-like branch segments
- 0
- Leaf-like branch shape
- the leaf-like branches are round
- Specific leaf type
- the leaf is divided into two equal parts which in turn are divided into two further parts; each of these parts are divided and each of these may be further divided
- Staminate bract edge (Myriophyllum)
- NA
- Stipule appearance
- NA
- Stipule fused to leaf
- NA
- Stipules
- there are no stipules on the plant
- Stipules fused around stem
- NA
- Trap-bladder length
- 0.5–5 mm
- Underwater leaf air passage number
- At least 1439
- Underwater leaf air passage relative width
- At least 4336
- Underwater leaf air passage row number
- 0
- Underwater leaf blade edges
- the underwater leaf has smooth edges, without teeth
- Underwater leaf blade shape
-
- NA
- the underwater leaf blade is orbicular (roughly circular, as wide as long)
- the underwater leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)
- Underwater leaf blade veins
- 1–3
- Underwater leaf blade width
- 10–35 mm
- Underwater leaf length
- 10–20 mm
- Underwater leaf stalk
- yes
- Underwater leaf tip shape
- the tip of the underwater leaf is rounded, with no point
- Veins in floating leaf
- 1–3
-
Place
- Habitat
-
- aquatic
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- bogs
- fens
- in lakes or ponds
- shores of rivers or lakes
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Flowering stem growth form
- the flowering stem is upright
Wetland status
Occurs only in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: OBL)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- fairly widespread (S-rank: S4)
- Rhode Island
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), concern (code: C)
- Vermont
- uncommon (S-rank: S3)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
2. Utricularia geminiscapa Benj. N
mixed bladderwort. Utricularia clandestina Nutt. ex Gray • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Shallow water of lakes, ponds, and peatland pools. This species can be confused with smaller plants of Utricularia vulgaris. It has ultimate branch segments with 0–2 (–4) lateral setae and its smaller turions lack hairs (vs. (0–) 2–4 (–8) lateral setae on ultimate segments and larger turions with abundant hairs in U. vulgaris).
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Utricularia vulgaris:
- flowers of one type--open-pollinated ones that are elevated above the surface of the water, and winter buds 5.5-13 mm thick (vs. U. geminiscapa, with flowers of two types--open-pollinated ones that are elevated above the surface of the water and closed-pollinated ones that are held beneath the water, and winter buds mostly 2-5 mm thick).
Synonyms
- Utricularia clandestina Nutt. ex Gray