Common Bladderwort vs Subulate Bladderwort

Utricularia vulgaris compared with Utricularia subulata

Key Differences

• Common Bladderwort is Near Threatened while Subulate Bladderwort is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Bladderwort	Subulate Bladderwort
Kingdom same	Plantae (植物)	Plantae (植物)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (被子植物門)	Magnoliophyta (被子植物門)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (モクレン綱)	Magnoliopsida (モクレン綱)
Order same	Lamiales (シソ目)	Lamiales (シソ目)
Family same	Lentibulariaceae	Lentibulariaceae
Genus same	Utricularia	Utricularia
Species	Utricularia vulgaris	Utricularia subulata

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Bladderwort and Subulate Bladderwort share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Utricularia.

Conservation Status

Common Bladderwort

NT — Near Threatened

Subulate Bladderwort

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Bladderwort	Subulate Bladderwort
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Bladderwort

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Subulate Bladderwort

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Guinea), Europe (Portugal), North America (Canada, Cuba), and South America (Brazil, Colombia).

Common Bladderwort

The common bladderwort (<em>Utricularia vulgaris</em>) is a carnivorous aquatic plant belonging to the family Lentibulariaceae. It is classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, reflecting population declines linked to habitat loss and water quality degradation. The species has been recorded across diverse terrestrial tropical to temperate habitats in Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and the United States. <em>Utricularia vulgaris</em> is typically found in slow-moving or still freshwater bodies such as ponds, lakes, ditches, and marshes. It is rootless and free-floating, with finely divided submerged stems bearing numerous small bladder-like traps that capture zooplankton, small aquatic invertebrates, and even mosquito larvae through a rapid suction mechanism. The plant produces yellow snapdragon-like flowers on emergent stems above the water surface during summer. Its carnivorous strategy allows it to supplement nutrients in nutrient-poor aquatic environments. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.