Utricularia subulata - Carnivorous Flower Stalks?

[NemJones]

About a week ago, I discovered an unidentified utric growing in one of my vacant moss pots,
seeming to appear overnight. I have had this pot for months, but 2 shoots mysteriously
poke out of the soil, prompting investigation.

Seed pods?

After waiting for about a week for the blooms to finally pop,
Im almost certain this is Utricularia Subulata.

And now, After waiting a week for said flowers to bloom, I discover that
they last only a day. I found the flower caught in what I thought was water
droplets on the stem. (I should have taken pictures, but removed the flower for drying.)

Bloom Spikes, Current day

However, I also found a fungus gnat caught in the same droplet of wet that the flower pedals had stuck to after dropping.
I originally thought that the fungus gnat had accidentally gotten caught in a water droplet and drowned on the stalk from earlier watering and humidifying.
However after looking closer, the substance is EXTREMELY sticky. Far stickier than water, and seemingly even more sticky than a sundew.

Secondary Node coated in Extremely sticky dew

Another section of flower stalk with Dew beads

This is not water.

Definitely not water.

Very, Positively, Definitely not water.

Has anybody noticed this before?
Are these glands of some sort, do they serve any purpose, and are the flower stalks of these plants carnivorous?
New to utrics, and dont really know much about them.

 

[carnigrower01]

I seem to remember reading about glue on subulata flower stalks before, I believe that the consensus is that it's a defense against insects that would climb up and eat the flower, but not sure, cheers for sharing

Mark

 

[nimbulan]

I saw a picture of this just a day or two ago actually. Its apparently a reasonably well-known occurrence with Utricularia though I don't know if it's purely defensive or actually carnivorous.

 

[Grey Moss]

There is a ICPS article about the function of U subulata's dew I think. You're lucky to get actual flowers. All I ever seem to get out of the plant are those cleistogamous seed pods.

 

[NemJones]

There is a ICPS article about the function of U subulata's dew I think. You're lucky to get actual flowers. All I ever seem to get out of the plant are those cleistogamous seed pods.

Lol So I guess now the question to ask is Should I quarantine the pot before they pop and nuke the rest of my growing chamber

 

[hcarlton]

Remove all seedpods before they ripen to avoid contamination.

 

[jimscott]

There is a ICPS article about the function of U subulata's dew I think. You're lucky to get actual flowers. All I ever seem to get out of the plant are those cleistogamous seed pods.

That was essentially what I was going to write!

 

[Grey Moss]

That was essentially what I was going to write!

I know. There just has to be some kind of trick to induce them to make regular flowers more regularly.

 

[jimscott]

U. subulata is the dandelion of the CP world- pretty flowers, hardy, prolific, and too successful for its own good!

 

[Not a Number]

Utricularia can also spread via the drain holes on the pots. So if you have pots in a common water tray snipping off the flowers may not be enough to contain spreading.

Nice "photo" story.

BTW: It looks to me your moss is rather dry. If you intend on growing live moss you probably should increase your watering.