Utricularia menziesii
Flowering specimen of Utricularia menziesii
Utricularia menziesii is a carnivorous plant in the genus of the water hoses ( Utricularia ). It is distributed in Western Australia.
Features
Utricularia menziesii is a perennial, terrestrial plant of compact, rosette -like growth habit. It forms numerous, unbranched rhizoids with a thickness of about 0.1-0.2 mm. Stolons are not formed, for it springs from the plant small, egg-shaped tubers from 5.0 to 15 mm in length. The leaves appear numerous and grow close together near the base. Their stems are quite long, the lamina einnervige is ovoid and fleshy, the total length of the foliage is up to 2-4 cm.
The traps appear in large numbers and spring as the leaves the central growing point. They are long-stalked, oblique - ovate and their size varies from 0.6 to 1.6 mm. The vent is frontal and the left and right of the door there is a ciliated wings. Also sitting on the ventral side two ciliated wing bars.
The flower stem grows upright to attention, is of simple construction and unbranched. He is 3-7 cm long, the stem is round in cross section, 1.0 mm thick and smooth. The bracts are fused at their base, oval and about 3.0-4.0 mm long. The flowers appear singly. The sepals are slightly narrow - oval and both about 4.0 mm long. The upper sepal is broad - ovate and has a slightly indented tip, the lower sepal is circular and entire. The corolla 1.5-2.5 cm long and is colored bright red and has a yellow mark near the base of the lower lip on. The upper lip is flowers above their mid strongly constricted at its base it is wide - ovate, above the constriction is narrow - ovate with incised tip. The lower lip is upside - elliptic, at its base, it has prominent, extending parallel furrows on. The flower spur is curved conical, blunt pointed, lightly or heavily towards the front and two to four times as long as the lower lip.
The plant flowers from June to September.
The seed capsules are globose to broadly ovate, its diameter is about 2.5-3.0 mm; the capsule walls are of stout structure. The seeds are broad ovoid and about 0.3-0.35 mm.
Distribution and habitat
Utricularia menziesii is native to Western Australia in the wetlands of Cockleshell Gully (about 200 km north of Perth ) to Orleans Bay. Where it grows in sandy soils or in moss cushions between wet rocks.
System
Utricularia menziesii is assigned to the section Pleiochasia.