126 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



GENUS //.— U TRICULARIA. Linn. 



Calyx divided to the base into 2 lobes, the upper lobe entire, the 

 lower often notched or 2-toothed. Corolla 2-lipped, personate, spurred 

 at the base below; upper lip entire or emarginate, lower lip entire or 

 3-lobed, generally much larger than the upper. Capsule opening in 

 various modes, or indehiscent. 



Aquatic plants with the leaves generally divided into capillary 

 segments, usually floating by small bladders attached to the segments 

 or on separate branches. Flowers on scapes, racemose, or solitary, 

 yellow, purple, or blue. 



The name of tliis genus of plants is derived from the Latin word Tlier, a bottle, and 

 signifies a little bottle, or bladder, or vesicle, referring to appendages of this sort 

 on the stems and leaves of the species, causing them to float on the surface of 

 ■water. 



SPECIES I— UTRICULARIA VULGARIS. Linn. 

 Plate MCXXV. 

 Belch. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Hclv. Vol. XX. Tab. MDCCCXXH. 



Leaves spreading in all directions, ovate in outline, two or three times 

 pinnately multifid, with the ultimate segments capillary, bristly only 

 when young, furnished with ovoid bladders. Pedicels two to three 

 times as long as the calyx, recurved and reflexed after flowering. 

 Corolla with the upper lij) about as long as the projecting bilobed palate ; 

 luider lip with reflexed margins which scarcely project bej'ond the palate. 

 Spur conical, acute, bent forward and downward, adpressed to the lower 

 lip, of which it is about half the length. Anthers coherent. 



In ponds, ditches, and pits. Rather scarce, but generally distributed 

 throughout the three kingdoms^ 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Summer, Autumn. 



Plant floating in the water and not rooting, sending out from one 

 point numerous leafy stems, 6 to 18 inches long, with alternate leaves 

 •| to 2 inches long, divided into hairlike segments; these leaves are 

 more or less thickly furnished with small ovoid bladders about the 

 size of hemp seed. From the central point of these leafy shoots the 

 floAvering stem, 3 to 9 inches long, is sent up, rising above the water, 

 and terminating in a short raceme of from 3 to 10 flowers. Pedicels 

 each with a bract at the base, at first erect, afterwards recurved until 

 the fruit is pendulous, and much longer than the calyx. Calyx with 

 the lips divaricate, ovate, acuminate. Corolla about | inch long, 



