Utricularia heterosepala

[Tamlin Dawnstar]

It's always a real pleasure to flower a species I haven't seen before.  I am especially happy over these photo's, since there are few posted photos on the web of this species.  Thanks to Trashcan once again for hosting these photos.

Growers of U. graminifolia will note a similarity in the flower of this species.  This flower is much larger though.

The lollons (or photosynthetic above ground stolons if you prefer):

and the flower:

Bob Z: there you go my friend! I have about 30 more if you are interested, lol!

 

[Tony Paroubek]

Looks like the thing I flowered that was labelled as U. prehensilis. I am pretty certain it is U. heterosepela also and not U. graminifolia.

Here's the link to the thread I started for more pics.. U. ?..heterosepela/graminifolia

 

[Tamlin Dawnstar]

Tony,

I agree. The sepals are very distinctive, and conform to the hetero part of the species name, meaning "two sepals". I knew I saw a flower similar to U. graminfolia somewhere, and this was it.

The two forms are very similar to my eye, but I have only seen the flowers of either species a couple of times, so I may be wrong, and the plant may have been misidentified. My U. heterosepala comes from a reliable source who probably checked it against Taylor's description. Based on the few web photo's out there, this seems to conform to them, but I am aware that limited consensus opinion isn't worth much if everyone is in error and growing the same clone.

I am no expert in Utricularia, but I believe I will take this on good faith until someone beats me up for it, lol.

 

[Tony Paroubek]

I have been doing alot of head scratching and muddling through Taylor's. My U. graminifolia (what's labelled as U. graminifolia) is doing better now so maybe I will have a live specimen to compare with eventually. Assuming it is correctly labelled at this point.

In the key Taylor lists the following defining features between U. heterosepela and U. graminifolia:
U. heterosepela: "Bracteoles absent; lower calyx lobe becoming longer and wider than the upper lobe in fruit; seeds globose with testa cells isodiametric, the anticlinal boundaries markedly sinuate"
U. graminifolia: "Bracteoles present; lower calyx lobe always slightly smaller than the upper lobe; seeds ovoid or ellipsoid with elongate testa cells"
and "Upper corolla lip somewhat longer than the upper calyx lobe;lower lip without tooth-like projections on the palate margin; spur distinctly widened at the base, about twice as long as the lower lip"

I tried pollinating a flower on my 'U. heterosepela' but I don't think it's doing anything so may try another. Some seed to look at would be helpful since the only thing I am really confident on is the bracteole issue. There really are not any other options in Taylor for keying this plant out other than U. heterosepela or U. graminifolia. All the other easily identifiable features point to these two.

My plant came from Best CP labelled as U. prehensilis. I don't know where they got it. The color seems a little different particularly on the calyx so maybe they are two different plants or it is just some variation based on culture. Mine were getting nearly full sun in the greenhouse and you can see the color of the 'leaves' in my other thread.

And although highly unscientific.. I am inclined to believe this is not U. graminifolia as I have killed plants with that label several times while this plant grows fine for me lol.
Tony

 

[Tamlin Dawnstar]

Thanks for that Taylor bit Tony.  Well, the diagnosis should be simple, based on the bracts alone.  I will have a look at my photo's and see when I get a min.  I did look at the "lollons" of the plant you so kindly sent, and the seem more pointy than the ones from the  (hopefully) U. heterosepala.  Not that that means a whole lot.

The U. graminifolia are shamrock green: never any hint of purple, whereas the hetero shows lollons almost purple at times.

The "hetero" grows very problem free for me same as for you, and the U. graminifolia always peters out for me as well.
I think this is a valid observation, besides your a grower.  You know plants, scientists know science.  Without a lab, all we have going for us as growers is consensus, and any observation is valuable if it is stated.

I am surprised that BCP could have made such a boner: U. prehensilis is a yellow flowered species. I hope you corrected them, and they corrected themselves.

 

[Tony Paroubek]

I have not talked to Kamil yet. I would suspect it is a matter of them having material misidentified from other sources and not have flowered it before releasing. Unfortunately I then perpetuated the error also.

Interesting point on the leaf color. My plant labelled as U. graminifolia was green.. well more yellowish! (it's green again now after going into my lowland chamber with a little less light: photo in the graminifolia thread)
Tony

 

[Tamlin Dawnstar]

My U. graminifolia seems to be doing a little better in low light too.  I have it off in front of the lights, not under it.  Maybe we're on to something!

 

[Tony Paroubek]

Mine also went from a night temp of around 58 to nothing lower than 74. (day temp even in the winter is at least 74 or higher) What temperature does yours get at night?
T

 

[Tamlin Dawnstar]

Mine are in an unheated back room, so I would estimate lows have been in the middle 40's. Yeah, the temperature might have something to do with it too, since we have been having some warmer days here (though not many!).

 

[dodecatheon]

Hi Folks.

My plant labelled as U. heterosepala (from BCP a few years ago) is also in flower, and looks suspiciously like U. graminifolia. As much as I hate to lose the entry on my growlist, I have a terrible feeling that it is in fact U. graminifolia.

Mine has some fairly obvious bracteoles, and the leaf shape doesn't look quite right either.

Furthermore, Taylor usually addresses commonly confused species in the notes at the end of the description but there is no mention of each species in the description of the other.

The seeds seem to be the most definitive diagnostic characteristic, so I will see if I can pollinate it.