Utricularia purpurea

Taxobox


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regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Lamiales
familia = Lentibulariaceae
genus = "Utricularia"
subgenus = "Utricularia"
sectio = "Vesiculina"
species = "U. purpurea"
binomial = "Utricularia purpurea"
binomial_authority = Walter
synonyms =
*"U. saccata" Elliott nom. illeg.
*"U. violacea" Barton nom. illeg.
*"Vesiculina purpurea" (Walter) Raf.
*"Vesiculina saccata" (Elliott) Raf.

"Utricularia purpurea" is a medium-sized suspended aquatic carnivorous plant that belongs to the genus "Utricularia". "U. purpurea" is endemic to North and Central America.Taylor, Peter. (1989). "The genus "Utricularia": A taxonomic monograph." Kew Bulletin Additional Series XIV: London.] It has been suggested that "U. purpurea" may have partially lost its appetite for carnivory. Richards (2001) did an extensive study in the field on it and noted that trapping rates of the usual "Utricularia" prey were significantly lower than in other species in the genus. Richards concludes that this species can still trap and digest arthropod prey in its specialized bladder traps, but does so sparingly. Instead, it harbors a community of algae, zooplankton, and debris in the bladders that indicates "U. purpurea" favors a mutualistic interaction in place of a predator-prey relationship.Richards, J.H. (2001). Bladder function in "Utricularia purpurea" (Lentibulariaceae): Is carnivory important? "American Journal of Botany", 88(1): 170-176.]

See also

* List of "Utricularia" species

References