Utricularia uliginosa Vahl

Asian bladderwort

Utricularia uliginosa is a small annual carnivorous plant that grows as a terrestrial or submerse plant in seasonally flooded shallow pools with sandy soils or on banks and among rocky stream beds at low altitudes. Flowering occurs seasonally during summer or the dry season, when the water level drops slightly to expose the plants to air.

Native to: Borneo, Caroline Is., China Southeast, Hainan, India, Japan, Jawa, Korea, Malaya, Marianas, Myanmar, New Caledonia, New Guinea, New South Wales, Nicobar Is., Northern Territory, Queensland, Sri Lanka, Sumatera, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Western Australia.

Submitted by: Boaz Ng

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Water Chemistry

Water information

Water type: Fresh water
Water color: Clear water
Water transparency: Medium
Concentration of sediments: Medium
Water temperature: 26-29 °C
Water flow/curent: None

Chemical parameters

pH: 3–7
Conductivity: 45-400
GH
KH
Dissolved Oxygen

Phytology

Plant form

Semi-submersed

Plant type

Carpeting

Plant size

20 cm

Plant growth rate

Moderate

Plant light demand

High

CO2

None

Aquarium equipment

The staple diet of Asian bladderwort includes small animals like: insects and their larvae, water fleas, mosquito larvae and zooplankton and phytoplankton.

9 Utricularia species are terrestrials that are sometimes semi-aquatic. They are:

Utricularia minutissima Vahl
Utricularia caerulea L.
Utricularia limosa R.Br.
Utricularia subulata L.
Utricularia bifida L.
Utricularia involvens Ridl.
Utricularia scandens Benj.
Utricularia uliginosa Vahl
Utricularia vitellina Ridl

Plant care

Utricularia uliginosa has small blooms that are coloured bluish-purple. Oftentimes, only cleistogamous flowers are formed, which never open fully and are self-pollinating. The lower corolla lip has a helmet-like dome at the center which is lighter in colour, developing into shallow lobes at the edge. The upper corolla lip is small. the spur is broad at the base and steadily tapers to a point, forming an overall triangular shape. The leaves are commonly seen and grassy appearance. When they are fully submerged, the leaves can be quite long and thin, although when growing emersed they tend to be shorter and more oval in shape.

Water care

Originating from nutrient-poor waters Utricularia uliginosa survive by forming the bladder traps – a unique feature of this family, which Utricularia species form after a short period also in the aquarium.