Vesiculina
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Authority
Barnhart, John H. 1916. Segregation of genera in Lentibulariaceae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 6: 39-64. f. 1-25.
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Family
Lentibulariaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Latin Diagnosis - Herbae aquaticae, caulibus submersis, verticillate ramosis, ramis verticillate vel opposite decompositis. Folia vera nulla. Ascidia terminalia ad ramulos, ore nuda vel cum solitaria media pubescente proboscide. Scapus esquamatus, bracteatus, 1-4-florus; bracteae basifixae vel simulate basisolutae; bracteolae nullae. Calyx 2-partitus; lobi concavi, herbacei. Corolla cyanica, valde 2-labiata; labium superius non lobatum, inferius 3-lobatum, lobis lateralibus saccatis et palatum prominentem 2-lobatum formantibus, lobo medio piano, inconspicuo. Antherae subglobosae. Capsula globosa. Semina tuberculata.
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Discussion
Species typica, Vesiculina purpurea (Walt.) Raf. (Vesiculina saccata Raf.; Utricularia saccata Le Conte; U. purpurea Walt.).
Superficially bearing a close resemblance to Utricularia, this group of species is really very distinct. The verticillate branches, terminal bladders, and prominent palate involving both lateral lobes of the lower lip of the corolla, are peculiarities not found elsewhere in the family. Two subgenera may be recognized, as follows:
A. PEMPHIGINA subgen. nov. Corollae labia lata; ascidii os nudum.
B. HYDRION subgen. nov. Corollae labia angusta; ascidii os proboscidiferum.
The genus, of about 8 species, is known certainly from the New World only; but it is not unlikely that Utricularia tubulata F. Muell., of Australia, will be found to belong here.
Vesiculina, as published by Rafinesque, was a very unnatural grouping of diverse elements, and it is only by accepting the first species named by him as the type of his genus that his name can be made use of here. Pemphigina is the typical subgenus, with the same type species as Vesiculina; the type of the subgenus Hydrion is Vesiculina cucullata comb. nov. {Utricularia cucullata St. Hil.).