Swollen Bladderwort (Utricularia inflata)

Tanner Nance and Dominic Inzana

Niche and Habitat

Swollen Bladderwort is native to southern and eastern North America. The plant can thrive in various conditions, such as in frozen northern lakes and southern bodies of water. Swollen bladderwort can grow in a wide range of water conditions such as high nutrient, low nutrient, and acidic waters. The plants preferred habitat is in slow moving water in rivers, lakes, and ponds. It can provide itself with nutrients by consuming small organisms and absorbing nutrients from the water, this allows it to grow great in many conditions and allows it to have an advantage over others.

Swollen Bladderwort can reproduce using both vegetative methods and seed formation. “Vegetatively, U. inflata reproduces by stem (rhizome) fragmentation. Stems fragment easily and most pieces can re-sprout and grow into new plants. Seeds are also formed, and U. inflata can re-grow from seeds remaining in lake or pond sediment." (Robinson, M. 2017) The swollen bladderwort is a unique plant that can thrive in many locations.

(n.d.). Retrieved June 2, 2020, from https://www.plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=UTIN

Environmental Impacts

The swollen bladderwort is a species common to the eastern part of our country but has managed to float its way into other states both near and far. One of the most notable states experiencing issues with this species in Washington. This species was introduced around 1980, and to date can be found in at least 5 different counties along the western portion of the state. Researchers suggest this could be on the low end of estimates because the state is home to other nearly identical native species of bladderwort, any visual counting or collecting methods might be skewed or unreported by locals. The swollen bladderwort is able to outcompete native plant species as they can overwinter and reproduce at a rapid rate as they are nutrient sinks and feed on living organisms, covering entire ponds. As ponds get covered, other surface species get overgrown and die off due to lack of space and light. This same problem is occurring up north, in areas such as Massachusetts and New York, despite the species experiencing troubles in native swamps and wetlands.

Friends or Foes?

In Carolina Beach State Park, you can find swollen bladderwort in ponds and wetlands. Some species you may find in these same areas are the iconic cypress trees and water lilies. In its native range, this species has trouble overtaking species of lily since they have large surfacing leaves that grow at the water's surface. Certain species of fish naturally prey on this plant as well, and different species such as grass carps are suggested to consume these plants in their invasive ranges. Not only do fish prey on these plants, but they also use it as a safety precaution to avoid predation. It can be assumed that in large colonies, U. inflata can prevent light from reaching any plant species found below the surface, effectively making them a foe.

Web Resources

http://depts.washington.edu/oldenlab/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Ultricularia-inflata_Scholl_2007R.pdf

This article highlights how a native rarity is causing extensive damage to ecosystems on the other side of our country. Washington state considers this species a noxious plant that can wreak havoc on ecosystem stability and local economics.

http://www.loyno.edu/lucec/natural-history-writings/swollen-bladderwort-utricularia-inflata

This website provides brief, yet informative, look at swollen bladderwort. This page is useful in describing how difficult it may be to find and identify bladderwort based on growth characteristics.

https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2017/09/06/swollen-bladderwort.pdf

This article takes a holistic look at swollen bladderwort in another state where it is invasive; Massachusetts. For similar reasons to Washington, this species seems to thrive and outcompete native species, even that of its own genus as Massachusetts is home to other species of bladderwort.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utricularia_inflata

Despite the urge to stay away from sources such as Wikipedia, there are very few webpages outside of the ones listed here to find extensive information about bladderwort. This webpage has information regarding history, evolution, and modern cultivation, which other pages lacked.

http://www.sarracenia.com/faq.html

“The Carnivorous Plant FAQ” is a webpage with loads of information about different types of carnivorous plants. Being a FAQ page, you can search for the question you may have instead of combing through the material looking for an answer. This page helped provide additional content as well as answer basic question regarding all carnivorous plants.