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U. livida?

I received this plant at a CPS meeting in the UK a couple of years ago as Utricularia tricolor, it soon became obvious that it wasn't that species and I have been assuming that it is a form of U. livida, but I'm not sure (I know U. livida is a very variable species). The leaves are similar in shape to U. livida, but about twice the size as the form I grow. Another important difference that may help I.D. this one, is that it is self-fertile, producing plenty of seed. If anyone knows what it is, please post here.

utric1.jpg


utric2.jpg


This is the form of U. livida I grow.

livida1.jpg


It really is time I saved up for a copy of Taylor's Utric book

cheers

Vic
 
Vic,
I'm far from an expert here, but I'm pretty sure that U. livida is not self fertile. I grow this species, and I can't get it to seed at all, even with bees visiting the flowers.

That said, the flower is strikingly similar....Are there such a thing as Utric hybrids?
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Hi Vic,

I'm not an expert either, but I can tell you for certain it isn't tricolor - here's a pic of tricolor leaves:

tricolor.jpg


It does look like u.livida to me, I had one plant hiding in my u.sandersonii (some of which I accidentally gave to larry). Looks a lot like u.sandersonii in the shape of the leaves but in the flower it simply doesn't have the ears. I don't have a pic with me at the moment, but I'm sure someone will post soon.
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Vic,

I'm guessing that the last pic is a comparison between your typical form and this oddball?

I believe this is a livida form as well. I have a 'S. Africa colour varient' form whose leaves are almost identical to the description you give. The flowers on mine are a little less blue but that could just be light. The self fertile thing is new to me but there are other Utrics that are so it is in the realm of possibility.

Scholaty,

There are reports of Utric hybrids but I only know of 3. 2 of them are purported mega-Utric crosses (alpina x endresii and humboldtii x quelchii.) To my knowledge no one has flowered the first so it isn't 100% for sure and the the second I have only seen pictures of so it could be bogus for all I know. Then there is the one BestCP sells (praelonga x livida I think) and I have heard it is identical to praelonga. So...
 
I'm fairly sure it's U. livida too, it's just the seed production that has sown doubt in my mind. I suppose it is always possible that some unseen pollinator is crossing my two different clones, but it's only this larger blue-flowered form (possible 'Durban' ?) that seed sets and it now growing in several other pots (I didn't expect it to be a weed
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)

Vic
 
U. livida and sandersonii are very closely related - perhaps they might hybridise. U. praelonga x livida sounds very dubious - are there photos of humboldtii x quelchii on the web anywhere?
 
Giles,

There used to be. Try a Google search or an MSN search (I can't remember how I turned it up.) I'll see if I can find it too and post a link.

Vic,

I'll check my taylor when I get home and see what it says.
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I recognise the plant in that pic! Its U. livida 'Merriwuk, Natal, SA'
 
  • #10
Here's a pic of my U. livida. Yeah, this guy was a stowaway in the pot of U. sandersonii from wickedthistle. When it flowered, I thought something was wrong with my plant. Why did my bunny flowers have no ears? lol

livida.jpg
 
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