Utricularia bidentata Species Profile

Utricularia bidentata Species Profile

Utricularia bidentata is an annual terrestrial bladderwort endemic to Northern Australia. The species is named for its two toothlike ridges at the centre of the flower.

Utricularia bidentata is a small plant with flowers around 1-1.5cm wide and scapes around 10-20 cm tall. The lower corolla lip is a flared ‘skirt’ shape that is constricted towards the palate. The palate has a set of two hooked toothy projections that are coloured white. The lower corolla lip is coloured violet, with darker veins towards the centre of the flower. The upper corolla lip is comparatively small with a notch in the centre, and is predominantly coloured white.

The species is known from the Kimberley Region in Western Australia, as well as around the Kakadu and Katherine areas in the Northern Territory. It inhabits grassy soaks and wet soils around claypans, usually in organic or clayey substrates. In the Northern Territory, it is often associated with Drosera kenneallyi. The species is an annual that grows during the wet season, dying as its environment dries up with the onset of the dry season.

Utricularia bidentata is similar to a few other purple-skirted bladderworts across its range. In the Northern Territory, it is most similar to U. gaagudju. U. bidentata is distinguished by its set of white palate ridges, which are not flanked by prominent purple protrusions (U. gaagudju has yellow palate ridges flanked by prominent purple protrusions), In the Kimberley, it is similar to U. kimberleyensis. It is distinguished by its set of white, toothy palate ridges (U. kimlerleyensis has shallow orange palate ridges).

U. bidentata near Pine Creek
U. bidentata at the Arnhem Hwy in Kakadu
U. bidentata near Nitmiluk
Habitat of U. bidentata near Nitmiluk
U. bidentata near Nitmiluk
U. bidentata near Pine Creek
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