Utricularia volubilis Species Profile

Utricularia volubilis Species Profile

Utricularia volubilis is an aquatic bladderwort endemic to south west Western Australia. The species is named for its twining peduncle (volubilis = twining), which wraps around sedges to support the flowers.

Utricularia volubilis has purple, medium-sized blooms up to 3 cm wide. The lower corolla lip is flaring and roughly semicircular in shape. The palate features a set of yellow ridges. The upper corolla lip is small and notched slightly in the centre, coloured light purple to white, and has faint striations. The flower stalk is up to 1 meter long and wraps around surrounding sedges to support the flowers. The leaves are grassy and traps are formed both above and below the substrate.

The species grows aquatically at the periphery of persistent swamps in southwest Western Australia, with records near Perth, Lake Muir, Albany and Esperance. These swamps are shallow when the species flowers in late spring-early summer but rarely dry out completely.

In the south west of Western Australia, Utricularia volubilis is distinguished from other bladderworts by its twining peduncle and large size. Utricularia helix shares a twining peduncle but is much smaller (The blooms of U. helix are around 0.5 cm in length whereas those of U. volubilis are 1-3 cm).

Close Menu