268 LentibulariacecB. {Utricularia., 



Stems floating in large masses a little beneath the surface, 

 often very long, rather stout, much branched ; 1. in whorls of' 

 4, i|-3 in., pinnately filiform-pectinate, each pinna with a 

 nearly globose bladder near the base ; fl. (ew, on long ped., at 

 first erect, afterwards deflexed and thickened, in an erect 

 raceme, bracts small, ovate, membranous, peduncle long, the 

 whorl of 1. at its base often with the rachis much inflated 

 (acting as a float) and the segm. very short ; sep. ovate, 

 obtuse, enlarged in fruit ; cor, -^ in. diam., spur rather shorter 

 than lower lip ; capsule globose, beaked with thick persistent 

 style; seeds discoid, not winged. 



In the water of tanks and deep ditches in the low country, especially 

 in the dry region ; common. Fl. Aug.-December; yellow. 



Throughout Tropical Asia and Australia. 



The common floating species here, and very like U. viinor, L., of 

 Europe. Linnaeus referred it to U. vulgaris^ remarking that it is almost 

 the only Ceylon plant collected by Hermann which is also European. 



3. U. exoleta, Br. Prodr. 430 (1810). 



U. diantha, R. & S., Thw. Enum. 171. C. P. 2828. 

 Fl. B. Ind. iv. 329. Wight, Ic. t. 1569. 



Very small, stems filiform ; 1. with few extremely slender 

 segm. and minute vesicles ; fl. very small, on rather long 

 slender ped., solitary or 2 on long slender erect peduncle 

 without floats at base ; sep. broad, truncate ; cor. \ in., spur 

 rather longer than lower lip ; capsule globose, exceeding cal. ; 

 seeds flattened, circular, with a broad wing. 



In the water of paddy fields, moist low country ; rather rare. Colombo ; 

 Peradeniya. Fl. Feb. and September ; yellow. 



A very small plant, with the floating submerged leaves often but 

 slightly developed. 



4. U. caerulea, L. Sp. PI. 18 (1753). Nil-monaressa, 5. 

 Herm. Mus. 18. Fl. Zeyl. n. 23. Moon Cat. 4. Thw. Enum. 171.. 



C. P. 278 (2086). 



Fl. B. Ind. iv. 331, Wight, Ic. t. 1573 {U. uliginoides) ; t. 1575 {^U. 

 conferta); t. i^jZ {U. pedicellaia). 



Stems creeping, filiform, branched, 1. numerous, often i in. 

 or more long, linear-spathulate, obtuse, very thin, giving off 

 from their surface flat offshoots, on which usually the bladders 

 are situate; flowering stem 2-12 in., erect, unbranched, with 

 one or two distant scaly bracts ; fl. on rather long spreading 

 ped., secund, 2-10, distant in a long raceme ; sep. triangular- 

 ovate, very acute ; lower lip of cor. \ in. diam., broadly oval, 

 spur slightly curved, projecting downwards nearly at right 

 angles with fl., sharply pointed; capsule very small; seeds, 

 oblong-ovoid, reticulate. 



