Bladderwort, << BLAD uhr `wurt,` >> is the name of a group of water or marsh plants that grow throughout the world. About a dozen kinds live in North America. Most bladderworts grow underwater. Some species found in wet, tropical areas are able to grow on land. Bladderworts have hundreds of little flask-shaped bladders on their stems and leaves. The plants have weak stems and no roots. The yellow or purplish flowers stand just above the water’s surface.
Bladderworts are called carnivorous plants because their bladders trap small insects and larvae. The bladders are about 1/8 inch (3 millimeters) long. Each has a mouth closed by a trap door that opens only inward. When an insect touches the sensitive hairs around the bladder’s mouth, the sidewalls of the bladder spring outward. This creates a sucking action and pulls the insect into the bladder. Then the plant digests the animal.
