Family: Lentibulariaceae
Author: L.
Bibliography: Sp. Pl. 1: 18 1753
Year: 1753
Status: accepted
Rank: species
Genus: Utricularia
Vegetable: False
Observations: Trop. & Subtrop. Old World, America
Description
The Humped Bladderwort, scientifically known as Utricularia gibba, is a fascinating and widespread carnivorous plant belonging to the family Lentibulariaceae. This species was first described in 1753 by the eminent Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus and is noted in his pivotal work, “Species Plantarum,” under the designation Sp. Pl. 1: 18.
Utricularia gibba is a small, delicate aquatic or sometimes terrestrial plant that has captivated botanists and plant enthusiasts alike due to its unique method of nutrient acquisition. Unlike most plants that rely primarily on photosynthesis and soil nutrients, the Humped Bladderwort supplements its nutritional intake by capturing and digesting small aquatic organisms, such as protozoa and tiny invertebrates. This is achieved through specialized bladder-like traps that create a vacuum to suck in unsuspecting prey, an adaptation that places it among the fascinating carnivorous plants of the world.
This intriguing plant is found in a wide range of habitats across the Tropics and Subtropics, both in the Old World and in the Americas. Its ability to thrive in varied environments, from ponds and lakes to marshes and sometimes even wet soils, speaks to its remarkable adaptability. Typically, Utricularia gibba is found in nutrient-poor waters, where its carnivorous habits give it a vital edge over other plants competing for the scarce available nutrients.
Initially described by Linnaeus, Utricularia gibba has continued to be a subject of scientific interest due to its unique morphological and ecological traits. Its capability to survive and proliferate in diverse ecological conditions makes it a valuable subject for studies on plant evolution, adaptation, and carnivory.
In summary, the Humped Bladderwort (Utricularia gibba) is a small but remarkable plant that utilizes carnivory to thrive in a variety of aquatic and sometimes terrestrial habitats. Its widespread presence across tropical and subtropical regions of the Old World and the Americas, combined with its innovative survival strategies, highlights the incredible diversity and adaptability within the plant kingdom.
Common Names
Eng: conespur bladderpod, humped bladderwort, cone-spur bladderwort, swollen-spurred bladderwort
Ces: bublinatka pĺuzgierkatá
Fra: utriculaire à bosse, utriculaire bossue, utriculaire gibbeuse
En: Humped bladderwort, Conespur bladderpod, Cone-spur bladderwort, Swollen-spurred bladderwort, Two-flower Bladderwort, Creeping bladderwort, Fibrous bladderwort
Ar: حمول (حَمول)
Cs: Bublinatka pĺuzgierkatá
Fr: Utriculaire à bosse, Utriculaire Bossue, Utriculaire Gibbeuse
He: נאדיד עדין
Synonyms
- Utricularia anomala (A.St.-Hil. & Girard)
- Utricularia gayana (A.DC.)
- Utricularia bipartita (Elliott)
- Utricularia alba (Hoffmanns. ex Link)
- Utricularia natans var. rigida (Salzm.)
- Utricularia filamentosa (F.Dietr.)
- Utricularia gibbosa (Hill)
- Utricularia gibba subsp. exoleta ((R.Br.) P.Taylor)
- Utricularia secunda (Benj.)
- Utricularia roxburghii (Spreng.)
- Vesiculina gibba ((L.) Raf.)
- Utricularia saharunporensis (Royle ex Oliv.)
- Utricularia pterosperma (Edgew.)
- Utricularia fibrosa (Walter)
- Megopiza fornicata ((Leconte) Raf.)
- Utricularia aphylla (Ruiz & Pav.)
- Utricularia macrorhyncha (Barnhart)
- Utricularia exoleta (R.Br.)
- Utricularia tenuis (Cav.)
- Utricularia pallens var. natans (A.St.-Hil. & Girard)
- Utricularia parkeriana (A.DC.)
- Trilobulina crenata (Raf.)
- Megopiza longirostris ((Leconte) Raf.)
- Utricularia natans (Salzm. ex A.St.-Hil. & Girard)
- Utricularia diantha (Schult.)
- Utricularia crenata (Vahl)
- Utricularia emarginata (Benj.)
- Utricularia spirandra (C.Wright ex Griseb.)
- Utricularia pallens (A.St.-Hil. & Girard)
- Utricularia longirostris (Leconte)
- Utricularia gibba f. natans (Komiya)
- Utricularia furcata (Pers.)
- Utricularia fornicata (Leconte)
- Utricularia elegans (Wall.)
- Megopiza integra ((Leconte) Raf.)
- Utricularia obtusa (Sw.)
- Utricularia tenuifolia (Benj.)
- Utricularia pauciflora (Blume)
- Utricularia exoleta var. lusitanica (Kamienski)
- Utricularia tricrenata (Baker ex Hiern)
- Utricularia ambigua (A.DC.)
- Plesisa bipartita ((Elliott) Raf.)
- Utricularia bifidocalcar (R.D.Good)
- Trilobulina fibrosa ((Walter) Raf.)
- Utricularia kalmaloensis (A.Chev.)
- Utricularia gracilis (Kunth)
- Utricularia riccioides (A.Chev.)
- Utricularia diflora (Roxb.)
- Utricularia khasiana (J.Joseph & Mani)
- Utricularia sumatrana (Miq.)
- Utricularia integra (Leconte)
- Utricularia tenuis var. poeppigii (A.DC.)
- Utricularia nagurae (Makino)
Distribution
- Alabama (native)
- Algeria (native)
- Angola (native)
- Argentina Northeast (native)
- Argentina Northwest (native)
- Arkansas (native)
- Assam (native)
- Bahamas (native)
- Bangladesh (native)
- Belize (native)
- Bolivia (native)
- Borneo (native)
- Botswana (native)
- Brazil North (native)
- Brazil Northeast (native)
- Brazil South (native)
- Brazil Southeast (native)
- Brazil West-Central (native)
- British Columbia (native)
- Burkina (native)
- Cameroon (native)
- Cape Provinces (native)
- Caroline Is. (native)
- Central African Repu (native)
- Chad (native)
- China South-Central (native)
- China Southeast (native)
- Colombia (native)
- Congo (native)
- Connecticut (native)
- Costa Rica (native)
- Cuba (native)
- Delaware (native)
- District of Columbia (native)
- Dominican Republic (native)
- Ecuador (native)
- Egypt (native)
- El Salvador (native)
- Ethiopia (native)
- Florida (native)
- Free State (native)
- French Guiana (native)
- Gabon (native)
- Georgia (native)
- Ghana (native)
- Greece (native)
- Guatemala (native)
- Guinea (native)
- Guinea-Bissau (native)
- Guyana (native)
- Hainan (native)
- Haiti (native)
- Hawaii (native)
- Honduras (native)
- Idaho (native)
- Illinois (native)
- India (native)
- Indiana (native)
- Iowa (native)
- Ivory Coast (native)
- Jamaica (native)
- Japan (native)
- Jawa (native)
- Kansas (native)
- Kentucky (native)
- Kenya (native)
- KwaZulu-Natal (native)
- Laos (native)
- Leeward Is. (native)
- Liberia (native)
- Libya (native)
- Louisiana (native)
- Madagascar (native)
- Maine (native)
- Malaya (native)
- Mali (native)
- Manitoba (native)
- Maryland (native)
- Masachusettes (native)
- Mauritius (native)
- Mexico Central (native)
- Mexico Gulf (native)
- Mexico Northeast (native)
- Mexico Northwest (native)
- Mexico Southeast (native)
- Mexico Southwest (native)
- Michigan (native)
- Minnesota (native)
- Mississippi (native)
- Missouri (native)
- Morocco (native)
- Mozambique (native)
- Myanmar (native)
- Namibia (native)
- Nepal (native)
- New Brunswick (native)
- New Caledonia (native)
- New Guinea (native)
- New Hampshire (native)
- New Jersey (native)
- New South Wales (native)
- New York (native)
- Nicaragua (native)
- Nicobar Is. (native)
- Niger (native)
- Nigeria (native)
- North Carolina (native)
- Northern Provinces (native)
- Northern Territory (native)
- Nova Scotia (native)
- Ohio (native)
- Ontario (native)
- Oregon (native)
- Palestine (native)
- Panamá (native)
- Paraguay (native)
- Pennsylvania (native)
- Peru (native)
- Philippines (native)
- Portugal (native)
- Puerto Rico (native)
- Queensland (native)
- Québec (native)
- Rhode I. (native)
- Rwanda (native)
- Senegal (native)
- Sierra Leone (native)
- South Carolina (native)
- Spain (native)
- Sri Lanka (native)
- Sudan (native)
- Sulawesi (native)
- Sumatera (native)
- Suriname (native)
- Taiwan (native)
- Tanzania (native)
- Tennessee (native)
- Texas (native)
- Thailand (native)
- Trinidad-Tobago (native)
- Tunisia (native)
- Uganda (native)
- Uruguay (native)
- Venezuela (native)
- Vermont (native)
- Vietnam (native)
- Virginia (native)
- Washington (native)
- West Virginia (native)
- Western Australia (native)
- Windward Is. (native)
- Wisconsin (native)
- Zambia (native)
- Zaïre (native)
- Zimbabwe (native)
- Great Britain (introduced)
- Hungary (introduced)
- New Zealand North (introduced)
Additional Images
Leaf
Taken Nov 15, 2019 by Fuentes Diego (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 23, 2019 by G Yadira (cc-by-sa)
Taken May 10, 2022 by Lauren Dorton (cc-by-sa)
Taken Apr 10, 2019 by Jitendra Kumar Sahoo (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 7, 2022 by Dene Stockdale (cc-by-sa)
Flower
Taken Jun 3, 2009 by EOL − Barry Rice (cc-by-nc-sa)
Taken Jan 1, 1900 by EOL − Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Botany (cc-by-nc-sa)
Taken Apr 2, 2014 by EOL − Maurice (cc-by-nc)
Taken Jun 2, 2009 by EOL − Barry Rice (cc-by-nc-sa)
Taken Oct 10, 2015 by EOL − Bob O’Kennon (cc-by-nc)
Habit
Taken Jan 1, 1900 by EOL − Howard, R.A. (cc-by-nc-sa)
Taken Apr 19, 2006 by EOL − Barry Rice (cc-by-nc-sa)
Taken Mar 12, 2016 by EOL − jeremy_rolfe (cc-by-nc-sa)
Taken Oct 10, 2015 by EOL − Bob O’Kennon (cc-by-nc)
Taken Feb 18, 2013 by EOL − Robin Booth (cc-by-nc)
Fruit
Taken Aug 9, 2021 by nathan nate (cc-by-sa)
Taken Apr 2, 2014 by EOL − Maurice (cc-by-nc)
Taken Apr 19, 2006 by EOL − Barry Rice (cc-by-nc-sa)
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Sources
- WFO (No URL)
- IPNI (No URL)
- GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/3172407)
- POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:526777-1)
- PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Utricularia gibba L.)
Specifications
Growth habit: Forb/herb