LARGE WHEEL BLADDERWORT 



Scientific name: Utricularia inflata. 



Identifying features: Most of plant is 

 submerged in water. Long underwater 

 stems are about 1/4 inch wide and bear 

 alternating masses of bladder-covered 

 branches. Bladders are about 1/8 inch 

 long. Flower stalks are supported by a 

 floating wheel up to 10 inches across with 

 5 to 10 (often 8) spongy, inflated spokes; 

 spokes not obviously narrowed near the 

 flower stalk, and appear expanded and 

 strongly brushy at the tips. Flowers are 

 yellow, about 3/4 inch across, usually 

 about 10 per lower stalk. 



Flowering period: March to early May. 



Distribution: New Jersey to southern 

 Florida west to Texas. 



Habitat: Sinkhole ponds, cypress ponds, 

 roadside ditches, beaver ponds, borrow 

 pits, oxbow lakes. 



Distribution in forest: Only known from one site, but may occur throughout. 

 Abundance in forest: Extremely rare. 



Other information: This plant and the small wheel bladderwort are sometimes 

 confused. The easiest way to tell them apart is to count flowers per stalk, about 

 10 in this plant and almost always only 3 or 4 in the small wheel bladderwort. 



29 



