Utricularia arnhemica Species Profile

Utricularia arnhemica Species Profile

Utricularia arnhemica is a species of affixed aquatic-semiaquatic bladderwort native to the Northern Territory. As its name suggests, it is mostly found on the Arnhem escarpment in the Top End.

The species is notable for its traps, which are unusually produced above the substrate. These traps reach around 1 cm in diameter, placing them amongst the largest in the genus. The leaves are rounded when terrestrial and elongated when submerged. The flowers are purple, with a lower corolla lip that is split into three lobes. The spur is reflexed backwards at an obtuse angle.

U. arnhmeica in habits the Arnhem plateau, where it grows atop sandstone substrates in the elevated escarpment. The species can grow fully submerged in flowing creeks or exposed to the air in seepage areas. The species is an annual.

Within its range, U. arnhemica can be distinguished by its large traps and 3-lobed purple blooms. The species is closely related to U. magna, a similar taxon that grows in the Kimberleys in Western Australia.

The large traps of U. arnhemica
Top down view of the blooms. Note the three lobes on the lower corolla lip
The plants in situ by a sandstone based creek
Submerged plants
A shadier habitat in a creek on the Arnhem Plateau
Plants in situ
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