Utricularis subulata?

[Tom]

Hi,

after few years growing this species, since it was pretty invasive species with small linear leaves and make a lot of cleistogamous flowers, I always thought that it was U.subulata, but I never saw the 'true' flowers until yesterday... Here they are:

After looking on CP photos finder, I remarked that U.subulata has a bigger/larger lip that the plant I have. Do this species can be variable or it is another species?

 

[Tom]

After a search on few utrics sites, I found a very similar species: U. pusilla... Anyone to back this hypothesis?

 

[Tony Paroubek]

Strange looking..

Don't know if it helps but here is a picture from U. pusilla which I believe is correctly labelled.

 

[Tom]

I would definatly need to get my hand on Taylor's book one day . Here is a picture of the so-called cleistogamous flowers (most are dried though)

 

[Copper]

That is a very interesting flower. I wonder if it is a hybrid cross with U. pusilla involved.

 

[Tom]

I am coming back from university with some new pictures! I succeed to take some pictures as Nick Hubbel told us about (holding a digital cam in a microscope ocular) and come up with those pictures: they are not perfect, but they give a good idea of the bladder (and a little idea of the seed).

After checking in Aquatic and wetland plants of northeastern North America - Volume 1 : Pteridophytes, gymnosperms and and angiosperms: Dicotyledons (Crow & Hellquist, 2000) for botanical drawings of Utricularia subulata, I found them pretty similar in shape in comparison of my specimen. Have a look, and tell me what you think... I think it is finally, perhaps, U.subulata, but if any experts (or owner of Taylor's book) want to confirm, it will be appreciated! (Sorry for the seed, kinda blurry!)

The equipement for phase contrasting (How do you call this in english?) and mesuring ocular were unavailable, but I should be able to work with them and come up with some measures soon and more constrated pictures.

 

[Tony Paroubek]

Kinda looks like U. subulata drawing in Taylor's Monograph.