THE VICT0R1A>: NATURALIST 



The ^ricidana^ of which 3 species are found in Victoria, belong 

 latm'al order Lentibidarinece which is one of^ffie^^ries of 



bilabiate corolliflora ; or ^synpef^Iea; hvpogynse of F. Von IVCieTle?. 

 The members of the order (of which Utricularia is the only genus 

 found here) may be recognised by the bilabiate pprsonate coplla . 

 lower Up produced into a spur, stamens 'I mserted at the base of 

 the lower liri, 1 anther only on each stamen, the short style 

 with bilobed stigma and b''^ the capsu lar fruit havinsr a central 

 phicenta bearing numerous mmute seeds. The drawings I have 

 made from tlie living pla.its will, I hope, illustrate all these 

 characters. The generic mark of Utricularia is the two lobed 

 calyx. 



Tfle thr^e Victorian species are very easily distinguished. 



U.. JMxuom IS an aquatic plant with linear much divided leaves 

 and yellow flowers. 



U. dichotoma and U. lateriflora both grow in damp peaty soil, 

 but the tormer is a much larger plant than the latter, the stem 

 being 6 to 12 inches high, and the flowers are borne in a pair at the top 

 of the leafless stem, while in U. lateriflora the flowers vary from one to 

 four, and form a spike on the slender leafless stem 1 or 2 inches 

 high. 



I have not yet found U. fl,exuosa, but it is said to grow in the 

 swamps and back waters of the Yarra. 



l!^either of the other species appear^ to be common. I have found 

 U. dicJiotomg near Lillydale and IJ. lateri flora near Oakleis'h 



ich 



The specimens of the latter from Avhich the drawings were made 

 were gathered early in May^ one plant was already in fruit, and one 

 iddiscl 



capsule had opened and discharged its seeds. Mr. French informs 



me that the other species flower much later, and with his usual 



kindness, he has given me some dried specimens of U. dichotoma 



showing the leaves and utricles , my own specimens not showing 



these organs. I may remark that Bentham describes U. lateriflora 



as leafless at the time of flowering. This does not agree with my 



observations. There are certainly no leaves on the stem nor close to'' 



it, but, as shown in the drawing, underground branches rise from^ 



the crown of the roots and bear at their tips minute leaves, a short^ t^03 ' 



distance from the base of the stem. Unless the soil for an inch 



round the plant is taken up, and then carefully washed away, these 



branches are detached and tbe^^lant-wefakl;' appear leafless. 



The underground hranches^and petioles of all species of this genus 

 bearsjiumerous little bladders (whence the name of the genus). 

 These bladders were ro'hnerlv supposed to -^gig yftT ' t l i g^purpose of 

 floating the leaves, but, as they occur in species which are not 

 aquatic, and as in the aquatic species the leaves will float without 

 them, it is clear that this explanation is not adpgnat.p ''^^ — '"- 



In U. lateriflora these bladdery are very minute, being just 

 visible to the naked eye ; they are in fact about ^q inch in diameter, 

 They present, however, a beautiful and complicated structure 



y 



