A carnivorous plant species that uses its radially arranged stolons like tiny pontoons to float at the waters surface may sound like something out of a science fiction novel. However, it is a very real strategy adopted by one of the coolest carnivorous plants in North America. Utricularia inflata is one of the largest species of floating bladderwort on this continent and it is a species worth knowing.
Sometimes referred to as the swollen bladderwort, this species enjoys a native range that extends through much of the southeastern United States. For most of the year it exists in a state quite similar to other aquatic bladderworts. It has no true roots or leaves. Instead it produces a long, filiform stolon covered in tiny filaments that act as leaves with bladder traps situated at their tips. It sits in the water column, gobbling up anything small and unfortunate enough to stumble into it.
Photo by Daiju Azuma licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5
When flowering time approaches, these aquatic carnivores begin producing a different kind of stolon. Arranged like spokes on a wheel, the plant puts out swollen, air-filled stolons that float at the waters surface. These structures support the inflorescence. Flowers are bright yellow and resemble those of many other bladderwort species. Entire bodies of water can literally erupt in a sea of yellow bladderwort flowers when the right conditions present themselves.
Photo by Adam Arendell licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
As mentioned, this species is carnivorous. It uses tiny bladder traps to suck in unsuspecting prey. Their diet is varied and includes pretty much anything that can fit into its bladder traps. One research paper reports both animal (rotifers, cladocerans, copepods, annelids, rhizopodeans, as well as small insects) and "plant" (Bacillariophyta, Chlorophyta, Cyanophyta, and Euglenophyta) prey.
Unfortunately these plants have been introduced far outside of their native range. In many areas they are becoming prevalent enough to be considered invasive. For instance, research done in the Adirondack Mountains of New York found that the presence of introduced populations of U. inflata caused significant changes in nutrient cycling, sediment chemistry, and overall net primary productivity.
This is a very neat species well worth a closer look. That being said, if you are a hobbyist such as myself, it is very important to remember that we should never release a species (no matter how cool it is) into areas where it isn't native.