FIELD ID CHARACTERISTICS:
Golden or bright yellow flowers are numerous and scattered (not closely spaced) along the upper portion of a purplish stalk; flowers with long curving spur pointed downward. Stalk grows to about 18 to 20 cm tall.
Synonym(s): Stomoisia juncea, Stomoisia virgatula, Utricularia virgatula
Description: Small, rootless, herbaceous, aquatic/terrestrial plant with underwater or underground stems having small carnivorous bladders. Bladder stems thin and dendritically branched. Single main upright flowering stalk.
Leaves: Inconspicuous or absent basal linear leaves. The flowering stalk and flowers are the primary identifying features.
Flowers/Fruit: Golden or bright yellow flowers are numerous and scattered along upper stem, about 1.25 cm across, with a long curving spur pointing downward. Flowers July to September; fruits soon after flowering.
Habit and Range: This species does not require as much water depth as other species of Utricularia. It is found in seepage slopes, streamhead ecotones, borrow ponds and scrapes, shallow pond margins (such as limesink ponds and clay-based bays), and occasionally in ditches. Found in the southern half of the Coastal Plain and Sandhills, with occasional occurrences in the Mountains.
COMMON CONFUSIONS:
Thirteen other Utricularia species occur in North Carolina, none of which are very widespread. Utricularia juncea (southern bladderwort) is similar to the less common Utricularia cornuta (horned bladderwort), which has larger (1.5 to 1.75 cm long), closely-spaced flowers on a taller (to 25 cm) yellow-green stem.
