86 
WILD FLOWERS OF THE BRITISH ISLES 
the upper lip is entire or wavy, and the lower, which is usually larger, is entire or 3-lobed, 
inserted below the seedcase (hypogynous) ; stamens 2, inserted at the base of the upper lip of 
the corolla (epi-petalous) ; carpels 2 ; capsule roundish, opening at the top by 2 valves in the 
British species. All the European species of this genus are water plants without roots, floating 
on the water, with leaves finely divided into thread-like segments, to which are attached small 
bladders full of air. These plants are carnivorous — the small bladders have tiny openings 
furnished with stiff hairs which permit the entrance of water fleas and small water insects, but 
prevent their exit. 
(1) Common Bladderwort. (Utriculdria vulgaris.)— Flowers deep yellow, upper lip of 
corolla as long as the large broad palate, margins of the lower lip bent back at right 
angles ; leaves fringed with hairs. 
(2) Overlooked Butterwort. (Utricularia mijor.)— Flowers pale yellow, upper lip of corolla 
2 or 3 times as long as the small palate, margin of lower lip flat and spreading; 
leaves fringed with hairs. 
(3) Lesser Bladderwort. (Utricularia minor.) — Flowers pale yellow, upper lip of corolla as long 
as the small inconspicuous palate, margin of lower lip flat and spreading ; corolla-spur 
reduced to a small protuberance ; leaves not fringed with hairs. 
(4) Utricul&ria Br^mii. — Like the Lesser Butterwort, but with larger flowers and a more 
definite spur to the corolla. 
(5) Intermediate Butterwort. (Utricuteria intermedia.) — Flowers pale yellow, upper lip 
of corolla twice as long as the palate, margin of lower lip flat and spreading ; 
leaves fringed with hairs ; bladders on separate stems from the leaves. 
1. Common Bladderwort. (Utricularia vulgaris. Linn.)— As just described. The 
flowers are about f inch long, bright yellow with a few red streaks, stalked, each flower-stalk with a 
thin egg-shaped (ovate) bract at its base, 4-8 in a cluster terminating a leafless stalk (scape) 3-9 inches 
high ; the corolla has a short conical spur, a very short upper lip and a large under lip, the upper 
not exceeding the large broad 2-lobed palate of the under lip, the margins of which are turned back 
at right angles. The whole plant floats in the water, and has no roots. It gives off from one 
point numerous leafy stems from 6 inches to over 1 foot long ; the leaves are alternate, f-2 
inches long, and are divided again and again to the midrib (pinnately) into fine hair-like 
segments, fringed with hairs (ciliate), and bear small bladders about | inch long. [Plate 29. 
Rare. In still water, in deep ponds and ditches ; distributed throughout England, Scotland, and 
Ireland. June — August. Perennial. 
2 . Overlooked Bladderwort. (Utricularia major. Schmidel.) — A similar species to 
the last but with the upper lip of the lemon-yellow corolla two or three times as long as the small 
palate of the under lip, the margin of which is flat and spreading ; the flower-stalks longer ; the 
bracts lance-shaped ; and the whole plant much more slender, the leaves more finely divided, and 
the bladders much smaller. ( Utricularia neglecta. Lehm .) 
Very rare. In ponds and ditches in the south-eastern counties of England. June — September. 
Perennial. 
3. Lesser Bladderwort. (Utricul&ria minor. Linn.)— A species differing from the 
Greater Bladderwort (Utricularia vulgaris) in being smaller in all ways ; the flowers are only about 
§ inch long, of a very pale yellow ; the upper lip of the corolla, as in the Greater Bladderwort, is 
about as long as the palate, but in this instance the palate is small and inconspicuous, and the 
margin flat and spreading, the corolla-spur is reduced to a short protuberance as broad as long ; 
