This exquisitely delicate and unique flower belongs to our native little floating bladderwort (Utricularia radiata). The white spokes that hold up the flower are regarded as specialized "leaves," and may also be referred to as stolons. There is a second flower forming beside the mature one - they first appear completely underwater, and slowly rise to the surface as the floats become more air-filled and buoyant.
This is how it appears in its habitat. The spatterdock leaves around it give some idea of scale and how small this plant is. The little spots you see around the base and floating in the water beneath it are the traps/bladders that catch zooplankton in the water - a magnificent carnivorous aquatic plant.
I LOVE this plant - ingenious!
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