Utricularia intermedia

Flat-leaved bladderwort

Family: Lentibulariaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.2

Flat-leaved bladderwort is a rare (CNPS 2B.2) California native perennial found in the Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, and northern Mountain Provinces in shallow water habitats at elevations of 1,200 to 2,700 meters. Flowering from July to September, this aquatic plant produces delicate flowers with intricate structures. Growing as a rooted aquatic plant with two distinct stem types - some freely floating and green, others white and rooted in mud - it develops distinctive winter buds with bristly characteristics. Its leaves are complex, divided into three parts at the base and further dissected into linear segments less than 20 millimeters long, each with 5 to 12 small bristles. The plant forms unique bladdery structures that help it capture and digest tiny aquatic organisms, making it a fascinating carnivorous species adapted to nutrient-poor water environments.

Habitat: Shallow (< 1 m) water

Bloom period: Jul-Sep

Elevation: 1200-2700 m

Bioregions: CaR, SNH, MP

California counties: Plumas, Fresno, Butte, Tulare, Modoc, Mariposa, Placer

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.