Plants of
South Australia
Utricularia tenella
Lentibulariaceae
Pink Fan,
Pink Bladderwort
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Adelaide
Arkaroola
Ceduna
Coober Pedy
Hawker
Innamincka
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Marree
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Oodnadatta
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Keith
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Botanical art

Kath Alcock paintings: 3

Prior names

Polypompholyx tenella

Common names

Pink Fan

Pink Bladderwort

Etymology

Utricularia from the Latin 'utriculus' meaning a small bottle or bladder; referring to a small insect trapping sac attached to the underground leaves. Tenella means small, delicate, tender; alluding to its habit.

Distribution and status

Found on the bottom of the Eyre peninsula, Kangaroo Island, southern Mount Lofty Ranges and the South-east in South Australia, growing in wet heaths and winter-wet depressions in woodlands. Also found in Western Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. Native. Rare in South Australia. Rare in Tasmania. Common in the other states.
Herbarium regions: Eyre Peninsula, Murray, Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island, South Eastern, Green Adelaide
NRM regions: Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges, Eyre Peninsula, Kangaroo Island, South East
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)

Plant description

Tiny terrestrial annual herb. Leaves rosetted, narrow-obovate, to 10 mm long and 1.5 mm wide.Inflorescence 1 to several erect spike to 13 cm long with 1�3 bright or pale pink flowers with yellow on distal margin of palate, upper lip ovate, deeply divided into 2 acute lobes, lower lip larger, semicircular in outline, deeply divided into 3 oblong lobes. Flowering between August and November. Fruits are reddish brown globular capsule to 2 mm diameter.

Seed collection and propagation

Collect seeds between September and January. Collect mature capsules, those turning reddish brown colour, fat and containing brown seeds. Can collect individual capsules or break off the whole stem. Place the capsules in a tray and leave to dry for two weeks. Then rub the capsules gently by hand to dislodge the seeds. Use a sieve to separate the unwanted material. Store the seeds with a desiccant such as dried silica beads or dry rice, in an air tight container in a cool and dry place.