Utricularia minutissima Species profile

Utricularia minutissima Species profile

Utricularia minutissima is a bladderwort that grows in tropical Australia and SE Asia. The species is named for its small size.

In Australia, U. minutissima has pink to white flowers that usually occur singly or consecutively on the same stalk. The upper corolla lip is rounded and upright. The lower corolla lip is bulging near the centre and has three shallow lobes at the extremity. The palate is usually paler in colour and plain in patterning. The spur is long and thrust forwards, usually tapering to a single or double-pointed tip. There is considerable variation in morphology across the plants range. Flowers are about half a centimetre long.

U. minutissima grows terrestrially in sand on seepages, the periphery of swamps and the edges of creeks. In Australia, it grows along the QLD coast, and in the monsoonal tropics.

The species is very similar to Utricularia geoffrayi in shape but can be distinguished by its plain palate (that of U. geoffrayi has two yellow dots). There is an undescribed minute version of this species that grows in tropical Australia that is structurally similar but has under-formed flowers around 1.5mm in length.

Utricularia minutissima from Jardine River National Park
Utricularia minutissima near Cardwell
U. minutissima near Cooktown
U. minutissima at Sunshine Coast
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