Utricularia benjaminiana Oliv.

Lentibulariaceae, P. Taylor. Flora of West Tropical Africa 2. 1963

Morphology General Habit

Aquatic half submerged

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Emergent slender racemes of mauve and white flowers supported by a whorl of slender fusiform floats.

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident

Lentibulariaceae, P. Taylor. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1973

Morphology General Habit

Aquatic herb.

Vegetative Multiplication Stolons

Stolons filiform, up to 50 cm. long or more, flexuous, ± densely villous; internodes 1–10 cm.; rhizoids absent.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves with 1 or 2 primary segments 1.5–4 cm. long, ovate in outline, pinnately divided; rhachis filiform throughout or ± inflated, especially in the lower half, villous; pinnae alternate, the lowermost up to 1.5 mm. from the base of the rhachis, repeatedly dichotomously forked, ultimate segments capillary, sparsely setulose.

Morphology General Floats

Floats terminal on short lateral slightly inflated villous branches, verticillate, 4(–5–6)–9, fusiform or narrowly cylindrical to ovoid or ellipsoid, 0.3–2.5 cm. long, bearing in the distal half a number of leaf-segments.

Morphology General Traps

Traps usually not numerous and often absent from some leaves, inserted in the angles between the leaf-rhachis and pinnae and between subsequent dichotomies of the leaves, ovoid, long-stalked, villous, 1–3 mm. long; mouth lateral; upper lip with 2 simple or ± branched hairs; lower lip naked or with 1 or more shorter simple hairs.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence erect, 3–25 cm. high, terminal on the short stolon-branches, arising from the centre of the whorl of floats; flowers 2–10, the uppermost congested, those below ± distant; cleistogamous flowers often present at the scape-base among the floats; scape filiform, straight or flexuous, smooth and glabrous; scales absent; bracts basifixed, deltoid or ovate, ±1.5 mm. long; bracteoles absent; pedicels capillary, erect, 2–3 mm. long at anthesis, up to 10 mm. long in fruit.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx-lobes subequal, orbicular, membranous, ± 1 mm. long at anthesis, scarcely accrescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla mauve or pale purple with a yellow blotch on the palate or wholly white, 10–15 mm. long; upper lip oblong, 3–4 times as long as the upper calyx-lobe, ± auriculate at the base, deeply divided into 2 parallel lobes; lower lip reniform, 7–10 mm. wide, apex ± emarginate; palate with a narrow raised ± crenulate rim; spur cylindrical or botuliform, 2–3 times as long as the lower lip, 8–10 mm. long, 2.5–3.5 mm. thick; corolla of cleistogamous flowers obsolete or nearly so.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Filaments filiform; anther-thecae confluent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary ovoid; ovules 3–20; style short but distinct; stigma lower lip ± quadrate, upper minute, deltoid or ± obsolete.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule ellipsoid, 2.5–3.5 mm. long, circumscissile.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds few, sometimes only 2, lenticular with a narrow irregular wing, ± 1 mm. in total diameter; testa-cells indistinct, elongated.

Habitat

Still and slow flowing water in pools, marshes and rivers; sea-level to 1200 m.

Distribution

throughout tropical Africa from Senegal to South West Africa and South Africa (Natal), Madagascar and E. tropical S. America P T1 T6 U4 Z

Lentibulariaceae, P. Taylor. Flora Zambesiaca 8:3. 1988

Morphology General Habit

Aquatic herb.

Vegetative Multiplication Stolons

Stolons filiform, up to 50 cm. long or more, flexuous, more or less densely villous; internodes 1–10 cm.; rhizoids absent.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves with 1 or 2 primary segments 1.5–4 cm. long, ovate in outline, pinnately divided; rhachis filiform throughout or more or less inflated, especially in the lower half, villous; pinnae alternate, the lowermost up to 1.5 mm. from the base of the rhachis, repeatedly dichotomously forked, ultimate segments capillary, sparsely setulose.

Morphology General Floats

Floats terminal on short lateral slightly inflated villous branches, verticillate, 4(5–6)–9, fusiform or narrowly cylindrical to ovoid or ellipsoid, 0.3–2.5 cm. long, bearing in the distal half a number of leaf-segments.

Morphology General Traps

Traps usually not numerous and often absent from some leaves, inserted in the angles between the leaf-rhachis and pinnae and between subsequent dichotomies of the leaves, ovoid, long-stalked, villous, 1–3 mm. long; mouth lateral, with 2 dorsal simple or more or less branched hairs and sometimes with one or more ventral shorter simple hairs.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence erect, 3–25 cm. high, terminal on the short stolon-branches, arising from the centre of the whorl of floats; flowers 2–10, the uppermost congested, those below more or less distant; cleistogamous flowers often present at the peduncle base among the floats; peduncle filiform, straight or flexuous, smooth and glabrous; scales absent; bracts basifixed, deltoid or ovate, more or less 1.5 mm. long; bracteoles absent; pedicels capillary, erect, 2–3 mm. long at anthesis, up to 10 mm. long in fruit.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx lobes subequal, circular, membranous, more or less 1 mm. long at anthesis, scarcely accrescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla mauve or pale puple with a yellow blotch on the palate or wholly white, 10–15 mm. long; superior lip oblong, 3–4 times as long as the upper calyx lobe, more or less auriculate at the base, deeply divided into 2 parallel lobes; inferior lip reniform, 7–10 mm. wide, with apex more or less emarginate; palate with a narrow raised more or less crenulate rim; spur cylindrical or botuliform, 2–3 times as long as the inferior lip, 8–10 mm. long, 2.5–3.5 mm. thick; corolla of cleistogamous flowers obsolete or nearly so.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Filaments filiform; anther-thecae confluent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary ovoid; ovules 3–20; style short but distinct; stigma inferior lip more or less quadrate, superior minute, deltoid or more or less obsolete.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule ellipsoid, 2.5–3.5 mm. long, circumscissile.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds few, sometimes only 2, lenticular with a narrow irregular wing, more or less 1 mm. in total diam.; testa-cells indistinct, elongated.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/107250066/144001373

Conservation

LC - least concern

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution

Nativa en Colombia; Alt. 90 - 120 m.; Guayana y Serranía de La Macarena, Orinoquia.

Morphology General Habit

Hierba, acuática

Conservation

No Evaluada