Details Top

Internal ID UUID643ffa109378c628310097
Scientific name Utricularia gibba
Authority L.
First published in Sp. Pl. : 18 (1753)

Ethnobotanical Use Top

Write a new one!
No ethnobotanical data added yet. Help us by writing one.

General Uses Top

Suggest a correction!

Common products:
- Live aquarium plant sold under the name “humped bladderwort” for hobby‑scale aquatic and terrarium displays. The plant is cultivated in nurseries and offered in bulk for use in aquaria and paludaria.

Scientific use:
- Model organism for studies of plant carnivory and trap development. The small, obligate aquatic habit and rapid generation time allow controlled experiments on bladder formation and prey capture mechanisms.
- Reference genome for comparative genomics. The sequenced genome (≈80 Mb) is one of the smallest among flowering plants and is deposited in public databases (e.g., NCBI, CoGe) for evolutionary, phylogenetic, and functional‑genomics research.
- Standardized laboratory protocols exist for axenic culture, seed germination, and transformation, enabling high‑throughput screens of gene function in carnivorous plants.
- Community resource: curated seed stocks and genetic lines are maintained by university collections and the International Carnivorous Plant Society, supporting reproducible research.

Properties relevant to use:
- Small genome (≈80 Mb) with relatively low repetitive DNA, facilitating genome assembly, annotation, and comparative analyses.
- High seed production and short life cycle (annual to perennial), allowing rapid cycling for experimental work.
- Simple morphology (small, floating stems with numerous bladders) reduces tissue complexity, easing microscopic and physiological studies.
- Production of mucilaginous secretions within bladders is a characteristic trait used in mechanistic studies of trap function.

Sustainability and sourcing:
- Utricularia gibba is listed as “Least Concern” by the IUCN and has a wide distribution across temperate and tropical freshwater habitats; it is not subject to CITES or major national trade restrictions.
- Commercial supplies are primarily obtained from cultivated stock; collection from the wild is limited and poses minimal impact on populations due to the species’ abundance.
- No significant commercial harvesting for timber, fiber, or food exists, reducing the risk of over‑exploitation.

Synonyms Top

Scientific name Authority First published in
Megopiza longirostris Raf. Fl. Tellur. 4: 110 (1838)
Megopiza integra Raf. Fl. Tellur. 4: 110 (1838)
Megopiza fornicata Raf. Fl. Tellur. 4: 110 (1838)
Trilobulina fibrosa Raf. Fl. Tellur. 4: 110 (1838)
Utricularia exoleta R.Br. Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holland. : 430 (1810)
Utricularia furcata Pers. Syn. Pl. 1: 18 (1805)
Utricularia fibrosa Walter Fl. Carol. : 64 (1788)
Utricularia gibbosa Hill Veg. Syst. 20: 45 (1772)
Utricularia emarginata Benj. Linnaea 20: 489 (1847)
Utricularia elegans Wall. Numer. List : n.º 1502 (1829)
Utricularia bifidocalcar R.D.Good J. Bot. 62: 161 (1924)
Utricularia biflora Lam. Tabl. Encycl. 1: 50 (1791)
Utricularia crenata Vahl Enum. Pl. 1: 203 (1804)
Utricularia natans Salzm. ex A.St.-Hil. & Girard Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot. , sér. 2, 11: 154 (1839)
Utricularia obtusa Sw. Prodr. Veg. Ind. Occ. : 14 (1788)
Utricularia pumila Walter Fl. Carol. : 64 (1788)
Utricularia tenuifolia Benj. Linnaea 20: 304 (1847)
Utricularia sumatrana Miq. Fl. Ned. Ind. 2: 998 (1859)
Utricularia secunda Benj. Linnaea 20: 308 (1847)
Utricularia roxburghii Spreng. Syst. Veg. 1: 52 (1824)
Utricularia saharunporensis Royle ex Oliv. J. Proc. Linn. Soc., Bot. 3: 176 (1859)
Vesiculina gibba Raf. Fl. Tellur. 4: 109 (1838)
Utricularia gibba subsp. exoleta (R.Br.) P.Taylor Mitt. Bot. Staatssamml. München 4: 101 (1961)
Utricularia anomala A.St.-Hil. & Girard Compt. Rend. Hebd. Séances Acad. Sci. 7: 869 (1838)
Utricularia gracilis Kunth Nov. Gen. Sp. 2: 225 (1818)
Utricularia longirostris Leconte Sketch Bot. S. Carolina 1: 21 (1816)
Utricularia diantha Schult. Mant. 1: 169 (1822)
Utricularia diflora Roxb. Hort. Bengal. : 4 (1814)
Utricularia aphylla Ruiz & Pav. Fl. Peruv. 1: 20 (1798)
Utricularia pallens A.St.-Hil. & Girard Compt. Rend. Hebd. Séances Acad. Sci. 7: 869 (1838)
Utricularia tenuis Cav. Icon. 5: 24 (1799)
Utricularia alba Hoffmanns. ex Link Jahrb. Gewächsk. 1(3): 54 (1820)
Utricularia gayana A.DC. Prodr. 8: 9 (1844)
Utricularia parkeriana A.DC. Prodr. 8: 9 (1844)
Utricularia bipartita Elliott Sketch Bot. S. Carolina 1: 22 (1816)
Utricularia spirandra C.Wright ex Griseb. Cat. Pl. Cub. : 161 (1866)
Utricularia macrorhyncha Barnhart Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 25: 515 (1898)
Utricularia kalmaloensis A.Chev. Bull. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat. , sér. 2, 4: 588 (1932)
Utricularia riccioides A.Chev. Mém. Soc. Bot. France 8: 187 (1912)
Utricularia pauciflora Blume Bijdr. Fl. Ned. Ind. : 739 (1826)
Utricularia integra Leconte Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York 1: 76 (1824)
Utricularia fornicata Leconte Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York 1: 76 (1824)
Megozipa fornicata (Leconte) Raf. Fl. Tellur. 4: 110 1836
Megozipa longirostris (Leconte ex Elliott) Raf. Fl. Tellur. 4: 110 1836
Megozipa integra (Leconte) Raf. Fl. Tellur. 4: 110 1836
Trilobulina crenata Raf. Fl. Tellur. 4: 110 (1838)
Plesisa bipartita Raf. Fl. Tellur. 4: 110 (1838)
Utricularia pallens var. natans Warm. Vidensk. Meddel. Naturhist. Foren. Kjøbenhavn 1874: 3, tab. 1, fig. 10, tab. 2, fig. 25. 1875
Utricularia ambigua A.DC. Prodr. 8: 9 (1844)
Utricularia tenuis var. poeppigii A.DC. Prodr. 8: 10 (1844)
Utricularia pterosperma Edgew. Proc. Linn. Soc. London 1: 352 (1847)
Utricularia tricrenata Baker ex Hiern Cat. Afr. Pl. (Hiern) 1(4): 785. 1900
Utricularia exoleta var. lusitanica Kamienski Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 33: 112. 1902
Utricularia nagurai Makino Bot. Mag. (Tokyo) 27: 59 (1913)
Utricularia khasiana J.Joseph & J.Mani Bull. Bot. Surv. India 25: 192 (1983 publ. 1985)
Utricularia gibba f. natans Komiya Syst. Stud. Lentibuiariaceae : 68 (1972)
Utricularia filamentosa F.Dietr. Nachtr. Vollst. Lex. Gärtn. 9: 382 (1823)
Utricularia natans var. rigida Salzm. Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot. , sér. 2, 11: 154 (1839)
Utricularia biflora Roxb. Fl. Ind. 1: 144 (1820)
Utricularia biflora Bonpl. ex A.DC. Prodr. 8: 10 (1844)
Utricularia conferta Hassk. Verslagen Meded. Afd. Natuurk. Kon. Akad. Wetensch. 4: 137 (1855)
Utricularia pallens var. natans A.St.-Hil. & Girard Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot. , sér. 2, 11: 154 (1837)

Common names Top

Add a new one! Suggest a correction!

Language Common/alternative name
English humped bladderwort
English floating bladderwort
Czech bublinatka opomíjená
German zwerg-wasserschlauch
French utriculaire bossue
French utriculaire gibbeuse
Hebrew נאדיד עדין
Malayalam യൂട്രിക്കുലേറിയ ഗിബ്ബ
Chinese 丝叶狸藻
Chinese 少花狸藻
Chinese 絲葉狸藻

Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top

Add a new one! Suggest a correction!
No subspecies added yet.

Varieties (abbr. var.) Top

Add a new one! Suggest a correction!
No variety added yet.

Subvarieties (abbr. subvar.) Top

Add a new one! Suggest a correction!
No subvariety added yet.

Forms (abbr. f.) Top

Add a new one! Suggest a correction!
No forms added yet.

Germination/Propagation Top

Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.

Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top

Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
  • Africa
    • East Tropical Africa
      • Kenya
      • Tanzania
      • Uganda
    • Northeast Tropical Africa
      • Chad
      • Ethiopia
      • Sudan
    • Northern Africa
      • Algeria
      • Egypt
      • Libya
      • Morocco
      • Tunisia
    • South Tropical Africa
      • Angola
      • Mozambique
      • Zambia
      • Zimbabwe
    • Southern Africa
      • Botswana
      • Cape Provinces
      • Free State
      • Kwazulu-Natal
      • Namibia
      • Northern Provinces
    • West Tropical Africa
      • Burkina
      • Ghana
      • Guinea
      • Guinea-Bissau
      • Ivory Coast
      • Liberia
      • Mali
      • Niger
      • Nigeria
      • Senegal
      • Sierra Leone
    • West-central Tropical Africa
      • Cameroon
      • Central African Republic
      • Congo
      • Gabon
      • Rwanda
      • Zaïre
    • Western Indian Ocean
      • Madagascar
      • Mauritius
  • Asia-temperate
    • China
      • China South-central
      • China Southeast
      • Hainan
    • Eastern Asia
      • Japan
      • Taiwan
    • Western Asia
      • Palestine
  • Asia-tropical
    • Indian Subcontinent
      • Assam
      • Bangladesh
      • India
      • Nepal
      • Sri Lanka
    • Indo-China
      • Laos
      • Myanmar
      • Nicobar Nicobar
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • Malesia
      • Borneo
      • Jawa
      • Malaya
      • Philippines
      • Sulawesi
      • Sumatera
    • Papuasia
      • New Guinea
  • Australasia
    • Australia
      • New South Wales
      • Northern Territory
      • Queensland
      • Western Australia
    • New Zealand
      • New Zealand North
  • Europe
    • Middle Europe
      • Hungary
    • Northern Europe
      • Great Britain
    • Southeastern Europe
      • Greece
    • Southwestern Europe
      • Portugal
      • Spain
  • Northern America
    • Eastern Canada
      • New Brunswick
      • Nova Scotia
      • Ontario
      • Québec
    • Mexico
      • Mexico Central
      • Mexico Gulf
      • Mexico Northeast
      • Mexico Northwest
      • Mexico Southeast
      • Mexico Southwest
    • North-central U.S.A.
      • Illinois
      • Iowa
      • Kansas
      • Minnesota
      • Missouri
      • Wisconsin
    • Northeastern U.S.A.
      • Connecticut
      • Indiana
      • Maine
      • Massachusetts
      • Michigan
      • New Hampshire
      • New Jersey
      • New York
      • Ohio
      • Pennsylvania
      • Rhode Island
      • Vermont
      • West Virginia
    • Northwestern U.S.A.
      • Idaho
      • Oregon
      • Washington
    • South-central U.S.A.
      • Texas
    • Southeastern U.S.A.
      • Alabama
      • Arkansas
      • Delaware
      • District Of Columbia
      • Florida
      • Georgia
      • Kentucky
      • Louisiana
      • Maryland
      • Mississippi
      • North Carolina
      • South Carolina
      • Tennessee
      • Virginia
    • Western Canada
      • British Columbia
      • Manitoba
  • Pacific
    • North-central Pacific
      • Hawaii
    • Northwestern Pacific
      • Caroline Islands
    • Southwestern Pacific
      • New Caledonia
  • Southern America
    • Brazil
      • Brazil North
      • Brazil Northeast
      • Brazil South
      • Brazil Southeast
      • Brazil West-central
    • Caribbean
      • Bahamas
      • Cuba
      • Dominican Republic
      • Haiti
      • Jamaica
      • Leeward Islands
      • Puerto Rico
      • Trinidad-Tobago
      • Windward Islands
    • Central America
      • Belize
      • Costa Rica
      • El Salvador
      • Guatemala
      • Honduras
      • Nicaragua
      • Panamá
    • Northern South America
      • French Guiana
      • Guyana
      • Suriname
      • Venezuela
    • Southern South America
      • Argentina Northeast
      • Argentina Northwest
      • Paraguay
      • Uruguay
    • Western South America
      • Bolivia
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
      • Peru

Links to other databases Top

Suggest others/fix!
Database ID/link to page
World Flora Online wfo-0000415571
Florida Plant Atlas 3522
Flora of Alabama 2540
Canadensys 6503
USDA Plants UTGI
Tropicos 18300092
INPN 630858
KEW urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:526777-1
The Plant List kew-2446981
Open Tree Of Life 820026
Observations.org 126235
NCBI Taxonomy 13748
Nature Serve 2.861102
IUCN Red List 164362
IPNI 526777-1
iNaturalist 79464
GBIF 3172407
Freebase /m/02vn0ng
WisFlora 5307
EPPO UTRBI
EOL 482633
Calflora (Californian flora) 8189
Wikipedia Utricularia_gibba

Genomes (via NCBI) Top

Below is displayed the reference genome only!
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
Accession Assembly
Name Level Submitter Released Coverage Size
GCA_002189035.1 U_gibba_v2 Chromosome University at Buffalo, SUNY 2017-06-12 19 95.59 Mb

Scientific Literature Top

Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Title Authors Publication Released IDs
Corrigendum: Mining the Utricularia gibba genome for insulator-like elements for genetic engineering Laspisa D, Illa-Berenguer E, Bang S, Schmitz RJ, Parrott W, Wallace J Front Plant Sci 26-Apr-2024
PMCID:PMC11085730
doi:10.3389/fpls.2024.1412239
PMID:38736452
Ancient hybridization and repetitive element proliferation in the evolutionary history of the monocot genus Amomum (Zingiberaceae) Hlavatá K, Záveská E, Leong-Škorničková J, Pouch M, Poulsen AD, Šída O, Khadka B, Mandáková T, Fér T Front Plant Sci 19-Apr-2024
PMCID:PMC11066291
doi:10.3389/fpls.2024.1324358
PMID:38708400
A chromosome-level genome reveals genome evolution and molecular basis of anthraquinone biosynthesis in Rheum palmatum Zhang T, Zhou L, Pu Y, Tang Y, Liu J, Yang L, Zhou T, Feng L, Wang X BMC Plant Biol 10-Apr-2024
PMCID:PMC11005207
doi:10.1186/s12870-024-04972-2
PMID:38594606
Genome-Wide Comparative Analysis of Five Amaranthaceae Species Reveals a Large Amount of Repeat Content Singh A, Maurya A, Rajkumar S, Singh AK, Bhardwaj R, Kaushik SK, Kumar S, Singh K, Singh GP, Singh R Plants (Basel) 13-Mar-2024
PMCID:PMC10975975
doi:10.3390/plants13060824
PMID:38592842
Transcriptomic analyses to summarize gene expression patterns that occur during leaf initiation of Chinese cabbage Sun X, Liu Z, Liu R, Bucher J, Zhao J, Visser RG, Bonnema G Hortic Res 28-Feb-2024
PMCID:PMC11059812
doi:10.1093/hr/uhae059
PMID:38689699
Genomic evidence for rediploidization and adaptive evolution following the whole-genome triplication Feng X, Chen Q, Wu W, Wang J, Li G, Xu S, Shao S, Liu M, Zhong C, Wu CI, Shi S, He Z Nat Commun 22-Feb-2024
PMCID:PMC10884412
doi:10.1038/s41467-024-46080-7
PMID:38388712
The chromosome-level genome of the submerged plant Cryptocoryne crispatula provides insights into the terrestrial–freshwater transition in Araceae Qian ZH, Li W, Wang QF, Liang SC, Wu S, Li ZZ, Chen JM DNA Res 20-Jan-2024
PMCID:PMC10873505
doi:10.1093/dnares/dsae003
PMID:38245835
The Localization of Cell Wall Components in the Quadrifids of Whole-Mount Immunolabeled Utricularia dichotoma Traps Płachno BJ, Kapusta M Int J Mol Sci 19-Dec-2023
PMCID:PMC10778831
doi:10.3390/ijms25010056
PMID:38203227
The dynamics and biophysics of shape formation: common themes in plant and animal morphogenesis Burda I, Martin AC, Roeder AH, Collins MA Dev Cell 18-Dec-2023
PMCID:PMC10752614
doi:10.1016/j.devcel.2023.11.003
PMID:38113851
Mining the Utricularia gibba genome for insulator-like elements for genetic engineering Laspisa D, llla-Berenguer E, Bang S, Schmitz RJ, Parrott W, Wallace J Front Plant Sci 08-Nov-2023
PMCID:PMC10663240
doi:10.3389/fpls.2023.1279231
PMID:38023853
Biodiversity, Ecology and Distribution of Mediterranean Charophytes in Southern Italy Bellino A, Baldantoni D Plants (Basel) 29-Sep-2023
PMCID:PMC10574563
doi:10.3390/plants12193434
PMID:37836174
Molecular Phylogenomics Reveals the Deep Evolutionary History of Carnivory across Land Plants Fleck SJ, Jobson RW Plants (Basel) 22-Sep-2023
PMCID:PMC10574757
doi:10.3390/plants12193356
PMID:37836100
Diploid and tetraploid genomes of Acorus and the evolution of monocots Ma L, Liu KW, Li Z, Hsiao YY, Qi Y, Fu T, Tang GD, Zhang D, Sun WH, Liu DK, Li Y, Chen GZ, Liu XD, Liao XY, Jiang YT, Yu X, Hao Y, Huang J, Zhao XW, Ke S, Chen YY, Wu WL, Hsu JL, Lin YF, Huang MD, Li CY, Huang L, Wang ZW, Zhao X, Zhong WY, Peng DH, Ahmad S, Lan S, Zhang JS, Tsai WC, Van de Peer Y, Liu ZJ Nat Commun 20-Jun-2023
PMCID:PMC10282084
doi:10.1038/s41467-023-38829-3
PMID:37339946
Expansion and adaptive evolution of the WRKY transcription factor family in Avicennia mangrove trees Feng X, Li G, Wu W, Lyu H, Wang J, Liu C, Zhong C, Shi S, He Z Mar Life Sci Technol 23-May-2023
PMCID:PMC10232687
doi:10.1007/s42995-023-00177-y
PMID:37275537
Chromosome-level genome and high nitrogen stress response of the widespread and ecologically important wetland plant Typha angustifolia Liao Y, Zhao S, Zhang W, Zhao P, Lu B, Moody ML, Tan N, Chen L Front Plant Sci 17-May-2023
PMCID:PMC10230045
doi:10.3389/fpls.2023.1138498
PMID:37265642

Phytochemical Profile Top

Add a new one!
No natural compounds are linked yet. If you wish to help please use this tool.

Gallery Top

We don't have an image yet. Upload an image!

Contributors Top

No known contributors. Be the first!

Collections Top

In private collections 0
In public collections 0
You need to be authenticated in order to add this taxon to a personal collection.