Monday, August 23, 2021

Bladderworts

Bladderworts? Sounds like something to see your doctor about, don't you think? The common name for these aquatic plants belies their filigreed beauty, instead making them sound like something from a witch's brew.

They're free-floating, rootless plants, which have tiny bladders on their leaves to ingest zooplankton to acquire nutrients. Carnivores! What an amazing adaptation!


Just take a look at this unusual and extraordinary one, the floating bladderwort:


The large purple bladderwort has this cute little purple bloom

The stems and leaves of the common bladderwort, (Utricularia vulgaris) look lacy and delicate.