# The lowly Bladderwort, speed king.



## TimV (May 22, 2009)

One of several species of my _Utricularia_, or Bladderworts sent up a flower spike this week. These plants are very plain, looking like short grass until they flower, and while the flower is enjoyable to look at, the interesting thing about this plant is it has the fastest speed of any plant in the world.

It lives in boggy ground, where there isn't much in the way of nutrients, so attached to it's roots are bladders. When it produces a bladder, it pumps the water out, creating a vacuum. There are triggers on the bladders, and when a mosquito larva, tadpole, nematode or some such animal brushes up against the triggers a trap door swings open at a speed of up to *1 four hundredths of a second*. The prey then is sucked in with the water, dies in the trap, and the plant uses it for food.


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## Blue Tick (May 22, 2009)

Incredible!


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## PresbyDane (May 22, 2009)

Very beautiful


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## Theognome (May 22, 2009)

It's a pretty little killer. Kewl!

Theognome


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## MrMerlin777 (May 22, 2009)

Beautiful.


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## Seb (May 22, 2009)

I dig those bug eatin' plants.

Thanks Tim.


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