Fairy Aprons

Fairy Aprons are members of the bladderwort group of plants. They are carnivorous plants that grow in damp heathy habitats. Fairy Aprons can be locally common and are fairly widespread throughout Victoria.

The genus, Utricularia, (wine flask or leather bottle), is found world-wide. The species, dichotoma, (divided into pairs), refers to the often seen double flower arrangement. Fairy Aprons is native to New Caledonia and is found in all states of Australia.

The suckering stems of the Fairy Aprons plant contain egg-shaped bladders with an opening that traps tiny aquatic organisms in the wet ground. Research indicates that when the aquatic animal brushes some tiny hairs around the stems of the plant, the bladder is triggered to suck in its prey. This highly involved process happens within milliseconds and makes Fairy Aprons one of the most specialized members of the plant kingdom.

Credit: Thilo Krueger, Curtin University

Fairy Aprons usually flower from August to December but they can bloom at other times when conditions are suitable. Often, the species can be found in ephemeral water bodies.