Utricularia nivea Species Profile

Utricularia nivea Species Profile

Utricularia nivea is a terrestrial bladderwort native to tropical Australia and SE Asia. In Australia, it is sometimes referred to as Utricularia sp. small white.

The species has small white blooms for which it is named (niveus = snowy white). The lower corolla lip is domed with a somewhat wavy but stiff looking margin. The palate is coloured yellow. The spur is broad and flattened from top to bottom, thrust in a forwards position and curving upwards towards the end. The upper corolla lip is small. The species has diamond shaped bracts. The flowers are around 3mm in length.

U. nivea is found in tropical areas of Australia, as well as in SE Asia. In the Northern Territory, it grows in wet substrates in seasonally inundated grassy floodplains. It flowers at the end of the wet season and persists over the dry season as seed.

U. nivea is closely related to U. caerulea, which shares a very similar floral morphology and diamond-shaped bracts. U. nivea differs in that the flowers are white, diminuitive and well spaced along the peduncle (U. caerulea has purple flowers that are small and usually crowded).

Note the white, domed lower corolla lip and broad spur
Side view of bloom
The flowers are diminuitive
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