Image - Wikimedia / Hugues TINGUY
La Utricularia australis it is a carnivorous plant with characteristics quite different from those of most of its sisters. Unlike the Sarracenia, for example, or the Dionaea, it lives in fresh water, floating on its surface.
In fact, it is not usually found easily, except when its beautiful yellow flowers sprout. But having a small size, can be grown in small containers, something that is undoubtedly very interesting when you do not have much space.
Origin and characteristics of Utricularia australis
Image - Wikimedia / Stefan.lefnaer
It is a floating aquatic carnivore belonging to the genus Utricularia popularly known as lentibularia native to Europe, tropical and temperate Asia, central and southern Africa, Australia and the North Island of New Zealand. In Spain you will find it distributed throughout almost the entire peninsula, especially towards the north of it. Their habitat is peat bogs and stagnant-sweet waters.
Develops erect stems up to 45 centimeters in length, from which leaves of about 4 centimeters sprout with an alternate arrangement. Some of them have 2-5 mm vesicles, which are nothing more than traps to capture very small animals, such as larvae.
Blooms in spring and summer. The flowers are hermaphroditic, zygomorphic, and appear grouped in clusters in number of 3, 5 or 9 yellow flowers. The corolla measures between 13 and 18 millimeters, and has five welded petals that form a tube and two lips. In androecium it is made up of two stamens inserted into said tube. The fruit are small capsules that contain seeds that are also small in size.
As a curiosity, say that the species was described by Robert Brown, a Scottish physician, surgeon, and botanist in 1810. This fact was published in Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen, a book that described more than 2040 plant species indigenous to Australia.
What are the care that must be provided?
Keep a Utricularia australis with health it is not very difficult. Being aquatic, it is impossible for problems to arise due to irrigation, since it is non-existent 🙂. But it is important to take into account some things so that it grows well. They are as follows:
Location
- Interior: in an aquarium or in a container without holes with fresh, rain or distilled water. It must be placed in a bright area, so it is advisable to get a lamp for plants to help it grow, like this one they sell here.
- Body exterior:: in a pond or similar, in full sun. It can live with other aquatic ones, as long as they are small and non-invasive.
Irrigation
As it is a carnivorous plant that lives in water courses, it can be grown in aquariums, ponds or the like. Also It is interesting to have it in a pot, as long as a plate is placed under it and it is watered frequently with distilled or rain water.
Substratum
As a substrate it is advisable to use peat moss mixed with perlite in equal parts. In case of growing it in an aquarium or pond, plant it in a pot for aquatic plants with this substrate, and then wrap what is the earth and the pot with some mosquito net-type cloth or a piece of resistant plastic net before introducing it in the Water.
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Image - Wikimedia / Stefan.lefnaer
Do not fertilize carnivorous plants. These have traps that serve to capture their prey. In the specific case of Utricularia australis, has very small vesicle-like traps that capture tiny prey that pass near them.
Multiplication
Lentibularia is a carnivore that it multiplies by seeds in spring-summer. To do this, they must be sown in pots with blond peat and kept moist with distilled, osmosis or rain water.
Its growth is quite slow, so do not worry if you see that it takes a few years to bloom. Keep it in a bright and well watered area, and it will be healthy, which in the end is the main thing.
Transplant
En springWhen the minimum temperature is about 15 degrees Celsius, it will be a good time to plant it in the aquarium, pond or container.
Plagues and diseases
It is a very resistant plant to pests and diseases, but if it is grown outdoors in a pot, be careful with snails and slugs. These animals are eaters of green leaves and stems, so do not hesitate to protect your Utricularia australis for example keeping it indoors during the rainy season, or wrapped in mosquito netting as a greenhouse. You can also put into practice the remedies that we tell you here:
Rusticity
Lentibularia it resists cold well, but frost hurts it. To avoid this, the temperature should never drop below 0 degrees, although if they do, it will only endure up to -2ºC for a short time.
Image - Wikimedia / Hugues TINGUY
And with this we are done. What did you think of Utricularia vulgaris? It is an easy plant to care for with very pretty flowers, don't you think?