Utricularia punctata – The purple bladderwort
Utricularia punctata, the purple bladderwort, is a medium-sized aquatic carnivorous plant that belongs to the genus Utricularia (the bladderworts), in the family Lentibulariaceae (the bladderwort family). Its flowers are purple.
- Family: Lentibulariaceae
- Genus: Utricularia
- Subgenus: Utricularia subg. Utricularia
- Section: Utricularia sect. Utricularia
- Species: Utricularia punctata
- Vietnamese name: nhĩ cán tím, rong ly tím
U. punctata is native to Southeast Asia. In Vietnam, it is widely distributed in Tràm Chim National Park, Đồng Tháp province. It is one of 20 Utricularia species found in Vietnam. Other common bladderworts include: Utricularia aurea (golden bladderwort), Utricularia stellaris (buoy bladderwort), Utricularia gibba (floating bladderwort) and Utricularia bifida (forked bladderwort)
Uses
The usage of Utricularia punctata specifically is unknown, though some other bladderworts are viewed as medicinal herbs in traditional medicine practice.
U. punctata serves as a natural landscape flowers for eco-tourism in Tràm Chim National Park.