Utricularia dunlopii is a terrestrial bladderwort from the tropical Northern Territory and Western Australia. The species is notable for its extremely long filamentous appendages extending from the flower.
Utricularia dunlopii is a small bladderwort with scapes that reach around 6 cm in height. The flowers are notable for their long antennae. These antennae extend from the upper corolla lip and form a ‘V’ shape, although they do not cross over each other. Three shorter appendages extend from the lower corolla lip. The opening of the flower is roughly triangular in shape. The spur forms a bulbous structure on the underside of the bloom. The flowers are coloured a tawny orange. Two or three blooms are usually produced on each scape.
U. dunlopii is widespread across the Northern Territory and Western Australia. It most commonly occurs on damp seepages in sandstone escarpments and outcrop areas such as those in the Kakadu National Park and Northern Kimberley. The species is infrequently encountered as its habitat dries out as soon as the daily rains cease with the onset of the dry season. It is a common plant in the wet season. The species is also found in moist sand in the plains near Darwin and Kununurra, where it is naturally infrequent.
The species can be distinguished from other antennae-bearing Utricularia by examining the arrangements of the antennae and corolla lobes. It is distinguished from U. dunstaniae, U. antennifera, U. lowriei and U. albertiana by its antennae, which emerge from the upper corolla lip (antennae produced on the lower corolla lip in those species). It is subsequently distinguished from U. capilliflora by the three appendages on the lower corolla lip and uncrossed antennae (U. capilliflora has five lower appendages and crossed antennae).







