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- Utricularia purpurea
Utricularia purpurea — eastern purple bladderwort
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Facts
Eastern purple bladderwort is found in shallow water of lakes and ponds in all New England states. It is a rootless, free-floating plant, and gets its name from the purple flower that is held above the water surface on a stout stalk. Its bladders are located at the tips of the leafy branches.
Habitat
Lacustrine (in lakes or ponds)
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
Characteristics
- Habitat
- aquatic
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Leaf position
- the leaves are all submerged underwater
- Leaf arrangement
- whorled: there are three or more leaves per node along the stem
- Petal or sepal number
-
- there are five petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- there are two petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- Petal color
-
- purple
- red
- Specific leaf type
-
- the leaf is divided into two equal parts which in turn are divided into two further parts; each of these parts are divided and each of these may be further divided
- the leaf is divided into two equal parts, with five or more levels of division
- the leaf is divided into two equal parts; these parts may also be divided into two further parts
- Floating leaf shape
- NA
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
-
Flowers
- Anther color
- there is a noticeable pink, reddish or purplish tint to the anthers
- Carpels fused
- the carpels are fused to one another
- Flower lower lip length
- 4–10 mm
- Flower number
- 1–4
- Flower position
- the flowers are above the surface of the water
- Flower symmetry
- there is only one way to evenly divide the flower (the flower is bilaterally symmetrical)
- Inflorescence type
-
- the inflorescence has only one flower on it
- the inflorescence is a raceme (a long unbranched stem with stalked flowers growing along it)
- Length of peduncle
- 20–100 mm
- Nectar spur
- the flower has nectar spurs
- Number of carpels
- 2
- Ovary position
- the sepals and/or petals are attached below the ovary
- Palate on corolla
- yes
- Petal and sepal arrangement
- the flower includes two cycles of petal- or sepal-like structures
- Petal appearance
- the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)
- Petal color
-
- purple
- red
- Petal fringed edges
- the petals are not fringed
- Petal fusion
- the perianth parts are fused to form a tube, cup, or bell shape
- Petal hairs on inner/upper surface
- there are no hairs on the inner/upper petal surface
- Petal length
- 10 mm
- Petal number
- 2–5
- Petal or sepal number
-
- there are five petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- there are two petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- Pistil number
- 1
- Sepal appearance
- the sepals resemble leaves in color and texture
- Sepal number
- 2
- Sepals fused only to sepals
- the sepals are separate from one another
- Spur length
- 2–5 mm
- Stamen number
- 1 or 2
- Stamen position relative to petals
- NA
- Stamens fused
- the stamens are not fused to one another
- Stamens fused to petals
- the stamens are fused near the bases of the petals or tepals
- Style length
- At least 0 mm
- Style number
- 0–1
-
Fruits or seeds
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is a capsule (splits along two or more seams, apical teeth or pores when dry, to release two or more seeds)
-
Glands or sap
- Oil glands on nodes
- none of the nodes have oil glands
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
-
Growth form
- Lifespan
-
- the plant lives more than two years
- the plant lives only a single year or less
- Root septa
- the roots do not have transverse septa
- Roots floating in water
- there are no clusters of roots floating in the water
- Turions
- the plant has turions
- Underground organs
- NA
-
Leaves
- Bract position (Sparganium)
- NA
- Bract relative length
- At least 1379 mm
- Bracts
- the flowers or their pedicels have bracts at their bases
- Floating leaf basal lobes
- NA
- Floating leaf blade width
- 0 mm
- Floating leaf length
- 0 mm
- Floating leaf shape
- NA
- Floating leaf tip
- NA
- Floral bract form
- the bracts are much more lobed, or much less lobed, than the foliage leaves
- Leaf arrangement
- whorled: there are three or more leaves per node along the stem
- Leaf blade veins
- the lateral veins radiate from the base and continue to spread away from the centerline of the leaf, or branch off the central vein at intervals
- Leaf position
- the leaves are all submerged underwater
- Leaf special features
- the leaves have bladder-like traps
- Leaf-like branch segments
- 0
- Leaf-like branch shape
- the leaf-like branches are round
- Specific leaf type
-
- the leaf is divided into two equal parts which in turn are divided into two further parts; each of these parts are divided and each of these may be further divided
- the leaf is divided into two equal parts, with five or more levels of division
- the leaf is divided into two equal parts; these parts may also be divided into two further parts
- Staminate bract edge (Myriophyllum)
- NA
- Stipule appearance
- NA
- Stipule fused to leaf
- NA
- Stipules
- there are no stipules on the plant
- Stipules fused around stem
- NA
- Underwater leaf air passage number
- At least 1439
- Underwater leaf air passage relative width
- At least 4336
- Underwater leaf air passage row number
- 0
- Underwater leaf blade edges
- the underwater leaf has smooth edges, without teeth
- Underwater leaf blade shape
-
- NA
- the underwater leaf blade is triangular, with the stalk or attachment point on one of the sides
- Underwater leaf blade veins
- 1–3
- Underwater leaf stalk
- yes
- Underwater leaf tip shape
- the tip of the underwater leaf is acute (sharply pointed)
- Veins in floating leaf
- 0
-
Place
- Habitat
- aquatic
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
- in lakes or ponds
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Flowering stem growth form
- the flowering stem is upright
Wetland status
Occurs only in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: OBL)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
- Vermont
- uncommon (S-rank: S3)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
7. Utricularia purpurea Walt. N
eastern purple bladderwort. Vesiculina purpurea (Walt.) Raf. • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT; limited in VT to the northeastern portion of the state. Shallow water of lakes and ponds.
Native to North America?
Yes
Synonyms
- Vesiculina purpurea (Walt.) Raf.