A chance encounter with Utricularia striatula

I and my Swedish stepbrother Simon recently had the pleasure to be a part of a fishing expedition with two friends in a remote location along the Agos River in the province of Quezon. Pitching our tents in a sandy riverbank, we set up our nets and began exploring our surroundings. Justin, an American who has been living in the Philippines, crossed the other side of the river where he found populations of the bladderwort Utricularia striatula, a species that is found from Luzon to the Visayas and Mindanao but with very patchy and highly localized distribution. I have observed this species in two ultramafic sites in Zambales a few years ago, but this species can also occur in soils with underlying mafic rocks. Later that afternoon, Justin, Simon, and I set off to botanize the length of the riverbank from where we erected our tents and, unsurprisingly, we found more of these tiny carnivores living amongst sparse grasses, mosses, and some emersed vegetation. They were rooted on muddy substrates kept continually moist by seepages and sheltered from direct noon sun.

This species appears to flower almost continuously throughout the year, but there are periods when blooms are produced copiously; too bad we weren't here at the right time!

Some plants grow wetter than others, such as these ones.

Those tiny, rounded leaves belong to U. striatula. In several instances, it's not easy to detect the plants unless these are in bloom. 

The Agos River, an aquatic plant lover's paradise. Utricularia striatula is found on suitable niches along the river banks.

A species of Eriocaulon occurs sympatrically with U. striatula.

Beds of liverworts such as this do not support any of the little carnivores.

Even in the fading light, the flowers glow like tiny beacons to those who are botanically inclined.