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Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
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| THE BLADDERWORT FAMILY | |||||||||
| The bladderworts are common in wetlands and moist forests. These plants are annual or perennial herbs that capture insects with sticky glands on the leaves. The insects are digested by the plant in order to obtain nutrients, like nitrogen, which are not readily available in their environment. The leaves can be clustered in a basal rosette or alternate on the stem. The flowers are either solitary or in an unbranched cluster. There are four or five sepals fused together into two lips and five petals, also fused into two lips. The petals have a spur at the base. There are two fertile stamens and occasionally two non-functional stamens in each flower. The fruit is a capsule. | |||||||||
| COMMON BUTTERWORT | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Pinguicula vulgaris | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Common butterwort is commonly just over 10 cm tall. The stem is usually solitary, hairless, and without leaves. The leaves are all in a basal rosette and have glandular hairs on the upper surface used to catch insects. The flowers are solitary at the top of the stem. The sepals are glandular hairy. The petals, which are generally more than 10 mm long, are spurred and violet in colour. The fruit is a capsule. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| Common butterwort grows in springy areas, marly fens, and northern lake shorelines. | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This species is found in a wide range in Saskatchewan in the following ecoregions: Aspen Parkland, Boreal Transition, Churchill River Upland, Athabasca Plain, and Selwyn Lake Upland. | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| Common butterwort is vulnerable in Saskatchewan because it is rare or uncommon. Its occurrence is somewhat regionally restricted and population sizes vary. No threats are know or anticipated. | |||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY COMMON BUTTERWORT | |||||||||
| * Are the flowers violet and with a spur? * Are the plants about 10 cm or slightly taller? * Do the leaves have hairs used to catch insects? * Did you find it in a moist area in Saskatchewan? | |||||||||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found common butterwort! | |||||||||
