Utricularia warburgii

Flowers of Utricularia warburgii

Utricularia warburgii is a carnivorous plant in the genus of the water hoses in the section Nigrescentes. The species grows endemic in the east of China.

Vegetative characteristics

Utricularia warburgii is a one-to two -year, terrestrial plant of creeping habit. They only produced rhizoids of simple construction and a thickness of about 0.1 mm. The stolons, however, are numerous, branched and several centimeters long, with a thickness of about 0.15-0.25 mm. The leaves are arranged in rosettes numerous and at the nodes of the stolons, they are stalked and the lamina narrow inverted oval to wedge-shaped with rounded- tip is. They are up to 1.5 cm long and 1.5 mm wide, they each have only one leaf on nerve.

The traps are numerous and ovate sitting on short stems, their size varies between 0.5 and 1.0 mm. The vent is at the side and has a strongly oblique, funnel-shaped and inwardly directed collar on the inner surface of the traps is studded with radially arranged rows of short-stalked glands. The back of the collar ( to the outside ) is extended into a long, narrow oblong- ovate, convex, keeled and blunt "beak ", which is occupied with short-stalked glands, may be reconsidered the case opening and as long as the entire case apparatus.

The inflorescence is erect, rarely shared by simple construction and usually unbranched, twisted. It is 7-10 cm long, the stem is round in cross section, 0.3-0.4 mm thick and hairy glandular. The bracts are fused at their base, oval and about 1.3 mm long. The flowers appear in twos or threes. The sepals are about 2 mm long, busy and slightly convex with papillae. The upper leaf surface is broad - ovate, the lower is narrow - oblong. The corolla is 6-8 mm long and bluish- purple colored and decorated with a yellow-white throat patch. The upper lip is indented petals over their midst; the lower lip is transversely elliptical, with a visible swelling and a rounded tip. Near its base, the lower lip on striking, horn-shaped bulges each left and right of the lip crest. The flower spur is pfriemförmig and slightly longer than the lower lip.

The seed capsules are spherical, their diameter is about 1.8 mm. The capsule walls are plump and relatively thick. The seeds are ovate and about 0.25 mm.

Distribution and habitat

Utricularia warburgii grows mainly in the districts of Lu -shan, Ningbo and Zhejiang in the province of Jiangxi (江西) in China in sunny locations on swampy, acidic and nutrient-poor wet meadows and wet rock at altitudes 800-2000 m. Its habitat is characterized by dense growth of sedges, rushes and grasses plants.

System

Utricularia warburgii is assigned to the section Nigriscentes, which also includes the species U. bracteata and U. caerolea be expected. With U. caerolea Utricularia warburgii is most closely related.