Utricularia multifida
intermediate Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)
No photo of this plant yet.
About
Known to hobbyists as pink petticoat or fairy aprons, *Utricularia multifida* is notable for its unusual reproductive cycle, where a tiny plant produces a tall peduncle bearing flowers twice its own size. This terrestrial plant is endemic to the south west corner of Western Australia.
Field notes
Morphology
A tiny plant only 12 mm wide produces a peduncle 10–12 cm tall bearing 2 or 3 flowers, which are each twice the size of the plant that produced them.
Distribution & habitat
Endemic to the south west corner of Western Australia.
Ecology
It possesses insect traps on underground rhizomes that catch collembola, mites, and other soil fauna.
History & etymology
It was once placed in a separate genus as Polypompholyx multifida.
Conservation
Assessed as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- Australia
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- intermediate