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Home , Byblis (plant), Drosera, Passiflora foetida, Undescribed taxon, Utricularia, Utricularia bifida

Carniflora Australis Journal of the Australasian Carnivorous Society Inc. Volume 9 No. 4, September 2014

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Contents Front Page: rowanae at Jacky Jacky, Robert Gibson Back Page: chrysantha and serpens, Robert Gibson

Title Author Page The 10th International Carnivorous Plant Robert Gibson 4 Society Conference and associated fieldtrips: 18-20th July 2014

2 UPCOMING SPEAKERS AND EVENTS Date Subject Speaker

11th July 2014 Adventure in the Stewart McPherson 8th August 2014 Report on 10th ICPS Robert Gibson Conference in Cairns 12th September 2014 Cultivating Raymond Chin and ultra-highland Nepenthes 10th October 2014 Swap Meet

14th November 2014 Presentation on Greg Bourke

Committee 2014 President: Robert Gibson Vice President: Wesley Fairhall Secretary: Wesley Fairhall Treasurer: Gareth Hambridge Committee Members: Marina Chong Kirk ‘Füzzy’ Hirsch Glen Moss Terry Watts

3 The 10th International Carnivorous Plant Society Conference and associated fieldtrips: 18-20th July 2014 Robert Gibson Newcastle [email protected]

Introduction Eighteen presentations were The 10th International delivered to an appreciative Carnivorous Plant Society audience. Most of the attendees (ICPS) Conference was held stayed in the same hotel, which between 18th and 20th July 2014 provided the opportunity to at The Cairns Botanic Gardens in socialise with fellow enthusiasts Far North , and was outside the conference. Cairns followed by a two fieldtrips to was certainly a wonderful setting see various carnivorous in for the conference. the wild. Overall it was an amazing adventure, which is Summary of talks summarized below. Eighteen presentations and a major book launch were given at The conference this conference: The ICPS conference lasted Greg Bourke – A photographic three days, with about 60 journey through Australia’s enthusiasts attending from fragile habitats (Figure 1); around the World. The Cairns Dr Adam Cross – Little left to Botanic Gardens [-16.8993°S; lose: habitat loss and the global 145.7493°E] provided posters challenge of returning to a and live Nepenthes plants to help carnivorous landscape.; set the scene for the conference Dr Katja Rembold – Diversity and to introduced a local flavor and conservation of the to the carnivorous plant flora. Nepenthes; Several recently published books Rob Cantley – Conservation – were available for sale at a stall The IUCN Carnivorous Plant at the back of the venue. Specialist Group;

4 Figure 1. Greg Bourke addresses the audience.

Jan Schlauer – Field Notes Dr Andrej Pavlovic – Costs and from Andalucía, Spain; benefits of electrical signaling in Drew Martinez – Artificial carnivorous plant LED lighting for plant (Dionaea muscipula Ellis); horticulture for carnivorous plant Naoki Tanabe and Koji Kondo growers; – Habitats of Native Allen Lowrie – Book launch: to ; ‘Carnivorous Plants of Australia – Palawan: A – Magnum Opus’; Microcosm for Nepenthes Jeremiah Harris – Cultivating ; Finicky Carnivorous Plants; Andreas Fleischmann – Ch’ien C. Lee – Recent Evolution of carnivory in the Discoveries in plant kingdom; Acquisition Strategies in Gary Wilson – Studies of Nepenthes; Nepenthes pitcher plants in Allen Lowrie – Austro-Papua; (Triggerplants), are they Mason McNair – Sarracenia:A carnivores? Nomenclature Nightmare; and Michael G. Schoner – The Charles Clarke – Why are there Bornean , so many of Nepenthes? Nepenthes hemsleyana - its natural history and interaction Summaries from the notes I took with a bat mutualist; are presented in the Supplement Caroline R. Schoner – to this issue: Interactions between carnivorous plants and animals – what’s in it The post-conference fieldtrips for the plants? The first fieldtrip was held on the

5 21st of July and was a day trip to highest peak in Queensland. This the western flank of Bartle Frere area, due to its topography and to see in the proximity to the coast, is one of wild. The second fieldtrip went the wettest parts of Australia, for a week, from the 22nd to the which means it also supports 28th of July and was a return trip large areas of . to the tip of Cape York Peninsula. A summary of these The field trip participants field trips is presented below: travelled in two mini buses to the western end of the summit track. Field trip 1: Western slopes of About 40 minutes walk along a Mt Bartle Frere (21st July) nearby path through the Immediately following the rainforest we reached an area conference was a day trip to see about 100 metres long where Drosera schizandra in the wild. Drosera schizandra was locally This species is endemic to the abundant. Some plants grew mid-slopes of Mt Bartle Frere. immediately beside the track, but This granitic mountain is about most grew on excavated slopes 60 km south of Cairns (Figure 2) beside the path where they often and at 1622 metres altitude is the carpeted the otherwise exposed

Figure 2. Key locations associated with the one-day field trip after the conference. 6 red clay soils and degraded rock. vegetatively by plantlets either (Figure 3). forming from the edge of some , or from the . There Drosera schizandra plants were at least 10,000 plants at this formed rosettes to 24 cm location. Based on observed diameter (Figure 4); but most variation in shape it seems were between about 8 and 15 cm they may represent a number of across. The glandular hairs were different clones. rarely bedewed, and when they were it was primarily on the The habitat where D. schizandra most recently formed leaf. Thus grew did not look particularly the plants caught very little by different to surrounding areas way of prey, and most of this where the species was absent. comprised various flies. A few The soil surface was dry to plants were observed starting to barely moist; and the vegetation develop scapes, but most community at the site is a reproduction was done secondary rainforest – growing

Figure 3. Drosera schizandra plants en-masse on an embankment beside the path.

7 back after disturbance related to logging and track/ road construction.

It is curious that D. schizandra has such a limited range, with so few known sites. May seemingly suitable sites occurred in the area.

We returned to the buses and Figure 4. Drosera schizandra plant enjoyed two stops on the 24 cm diameter; the largest seen. adjacent Atherton Tablelands, one at Lake Eacham and the day, then to Seisia near the tip of other at the large and impressive Cape York for the next three curtain fig near Yungaburra days, which included a trip to the before returning to Cairns. northern-most point of Cape York. We then stopped at Field trip 2: Cape York Bramwell Station and Musgrave Peninsula (22-28th July) on the return leg with a detour The return trip to northern-most via Lakefield National Park, near part of the Cape York Peninsula Laura, at the start of the last day was a roadtrip in which the (Figure 5). Gary took us through conference organisers booked a Lakefield National Park to visit tour through Heritage Tours Pty the Lotus Lagoon with its well- Ltd. Gary drove one of their four known life, to see a large -wheel drive buses and was an pair of Saltwater Crocodiles at expert tour guide. Twenty-two the Kennedy Bend waterhole on participants went on this 2,000 the Kennedy River (Figure 6), km round trip. and a grove of fascinating Kennedy Palms (Corypha utan). The tour went from Cairns to Gary also had the challenge of Musgrave on the first day, then getting us all back on the bus on to Eliot Falls on the Jardine time so as to keep things roughly River by the end of the second to schedule — not an easy task!

8 Most of the Cape York sub-horizontal sandstone layers. Peninsula is composed of granite These rocks produce low and metasediment which forms a nutrient soils and also store and landscape of rolling hills and is release a large volume of water, covered by dry open Eucalyptus which feeds the Jardine River. woodland. North of Bramwell The seeps, soaks, springs and Roadhouse is an area of the associated creek banks and beds Carpentaria Basin with porous, form ideal carnivorous plant

Figure 5. Key locations visited on the fieldtrip to Cape York.

9 Figure 6. Pair of Saltwater Crocodiles at Kennedy Bend.

habitat, which also helps to aquatica explain why there is a Byblis aquatica was a rarely concentration of carnivorous encountered species on this trip, species and abundance in the with a few plants seen in Jardine River catchment. streamside seepages above Eliot Falls and Bat Falls. The The climate of Cape York is spindly plants had sprawling strongly seasonal with most rain stems to about 15 cm long with falling during the summer linear leaves to about 8 cm long monsoon. However, the eastern and pretty dark purple to coast of the Cape York Peninsula about 1.5 cm across (Figure 7). and the northernmost 200 km or The plants were often dark so are affected year ‘round by the maroon in colour and so blended moist South East Trade Winds in very well against reddish algae and can receive rain during other parts of the year as well (as we experienced). Temperatures in July ranged from minima around 14°C and maxima to about 25°C.

Plants seen on the tour: Participants of the tour were treated to seeing two species of Byblis, about four taxa of Drosera, three named taxa of Nepenthes, one exotic part-time carnivore, and 11 species of Utricularia. These plants are Figure 7. Lovely open described below: of Byblis aquatica. 10 covered rock and soil. They grew 10 cm long and their small pale in sodden soils, where stems can purple or white flowers were trail into adjacent streams, and about 1 cm across (Figure 8). often grow in the company of Plants were generally pale green, Drosera burmanni, D. spatulata, but some developed a reddish U. bifida and U. chrysantha. tinge when exposed to more open locations. They grew in wet to sodden clay loam soil often in the Byblis liniflora is widespread company of D. burmanni, across northern Australia D. petiolaris, D. spatulata, (Lowrie, 2014). However on this U. caerulea and U. chrysantha. trip only a few small plants were encountered at two locations: on Drosera burmanni a streambank in low open wet Drosera burmanni was herbfield / shrubland at Jacky frequently encountered in wet Jacky; and in small gaps in grassland at Musgrave Station, otherwise dense wet grassland at seeps, soaks, creekbanks of the Musgrave Station. These plants Jardine River catchment and in had erect to trailing stems freshwater wetlands at and near growing to about 10 cm tall. Jacky Jacky. This sundew formed Their linear leaves came to about flat rosettes to 4 cm across with

Figure 8. White-flowered Byblis liniflora at Jacky Jacky growing with Drosera serpens. 11 distinctive triangular leaves and a very short (Figure 9), from which one or more erect scapes emerge. The white petalled flowers are about 1 cm across (Figure 10). Plants varied in colour from pale green to bright red depending on sun exposure. This species might grow as an annual or a short- lived perennial, depending upon Figure 9. Rosette of a flowering the persistence of soil moisture. plant of Drosera burmanni. Sometimes plants grew were open earlier than those of hydroponically, floating on the other species. They usually surface of ponds and slow- opened by around 8 a,m. and moving streams. closed by around 10 a.m. On this trip D. burmanni was frequently The flowers of this species observed growing with Byblis opened for only a few hours, but aquatica, , D. serpens, Nepenthes mirabilis, , U. caerulea and U. chrysantha.

Drosera lanata/petiolaris Plants in the complex were seen at several locations between Musgrave and Jacky Jacky and were in different stages of growth and dormancy. They grew in a number of different habitats: wetlands on cracking back clay soil (that support magnetic Figure 10. Open flower of termite mounds), seasonally wet Drosera burmanni 1 cm across. grasslands/ herbfields, seeps and 12 soaks beside tributaries of the Drosera serpens Jardine River, and wet herbfield Drosera serpens is a recently re- in low altitude seepage zones at recognised member of the and near Jacky Jacky. Plants complex. It is varied in form from flat to semi- native to northern Australia and erect rosettes. All of them had South East (Lowrie, 2014). round lamina to about 3 mm It is a warm-season growing, diameter at the end of linear annual sundew with an initially petioles with variable hair cover erect to ascending stem about 20 (Figure 11). In drying wet cm tall from which alternate grasslands and herbfields, such linear leaves 10 to 15 cm long as near Musgrave, the newer emerge (Figure 12: see also Rear leaves had distinctly shorter and Cover). The scapes were longer hairier petioles than the older than the leaves and were leaves. No scapes were observed subhorizontal from that base. on any plant, which could have Almost all parts of the plants helped reveal the identity of were covered in stalked these plants. glandular hairs and notably the

Figure 11. Drosera petiolaris/lanata at Musgrave producing shorter leaves with hairier petioles as the soil continues to dry out. 13 Figure 12. Drosera serpens in flooded herbfield at Jacky Jacky. 14 long-stalked, trapping were also seen to host Sundew glands covered all but the basal bugs (Setocoris spp.) (Figure 1 cm or so of each leaf. In that 13). region the hair cover instead comprised short simple hairs This sundew was observed in with longer ‘Y’-shaped glands seasonally wet grassland/ and capitate glands – the latter herbfield at Musgrave and near also occured on the stem the tip of Cape York, where it (Lowrie, 2014). was widespread, locally abundant and grew with Plant colour and petal colour D. burmanni, D. petiolaris, and varied between plants within U chrysantha. Plants also grew populations. Most plants had an in open wet herbfield of overall reddish colour also had creekbanks and seepage areas in pink-petalled flowers. Some the Jardine River catchment, plants were primarily green (in where it was highly localized, locations exposed to full sun) and infrequent and grew with and had white-petalled flowers. B. aquatica, D. spatulata, Most flowers set fruit and this Nepenthes mirabilis and species appeared to produce an U. bifida. abundance of . Some plants

Figure 13. Sundew Bug(Setocoris sp.) on a developing scape of Drosera serpens. Note the variation in hair types on this sundew. 15 At Jacky Jacky plants grew in flooded herbfield/ sedgefield with D. spatulata, and U. lowriei and U. quinquedentata. Remarkably some plants near this location grew hydroponically in a floating mat of algae in a small waterhole.

Drosera spatulata The Spoonleaf Sundew (D. spatulata) was observed in low, open wet herbfield on creekbanks and creekside seeps Figure 14. Drosera spatulata on tributaries of the Jardine rosette at Jacky Jacky. River and Twin, Eliot and Fruit Nepenthes mirabilis Bat falls. It also grew in open Nepenthes mirabilis was wet sedgefield and herbfield in commonly seen in riparian freshwater wetlands at and near shrublands, herbfields and Jacky Jacky. Plants were locally sedgelands beside tributaries of common and formed bright red, the Jardine River at Eliot Falls, flat rosettes to about 3 cm across Twin Falls and Fruit Bat Falls (Figure 14) from which erect (Figure 15). It and occurred in scapes to about 20 cm arose. tall sedgeland on the edge of Most plants seen had white- freshwater wetlands at and near petalled flowers, but some with Jacky Jacky. Plants were locally pink-petals also came up among common and formed stems to at them. least 8 metres long. They often arose from a sizeable woody This sundew is widespread in rootstock, suggesting these plants Australia, but the plants in Cape can live for many years. York appeared to be smaller than Seedlings and small plants were those further south. They might locally common in seeps, soaks, differ in other ways too (Lowrie, and wetlands beside creeks 2014). (Figure 16). However, it seems 16 Figure 15. Nepenthes mirabilis in riparian woodland at Fruit Bat Falls. Stems climb to 8 m long with 17 pitchers to 12 cm high. that unless they get their roots being held and squeezed. Many wedged into crevices in the plants had the remains of old rocks that they might not survive flower scapes on them, with a the next flood. few female plants in fruit. A few plants were also flowering. Several plants showed signs of herbivory by a range of invertebrates (most likely caterpillars and crickets); plants were also known to be dug up by feral pigs that then ate the exposed swollen system (Bourke and Nunn, 2012). The plants also formed a home to a number of spiders that make Figure 16. Nepenthes mirabilis their homes on various parts of seedling at Eliot Falls. the plants and hunt on the leaves, such as an attractive Jumping The terete stems reached about 1 Spider, seen on a plant above cm diameter and the alternate Eliot Falls (Figure 17). leaves were lanceolate with a flat blade to about 15 cm long by 5 Nepenthes mirabilis is recorded cm wide. The leaf margin was from a number of locations north often fimbriate. The lower of Weipa on the Cape York pitchers were ovoid to about 6 Peninsula – with an outlying cm tall by 2 cm broad, with a small population south of Cairns distinct hip around the middle. (Lowrie, 2014). However it The upper pitchers were appears that this species is most primarily cylindrical with a abundant and widespread in weakly obovoid base. They had seeps and soaks associated with a less developed hip about the sandstone of the Carpentaria middle and were up to about 12 Basin, particularly in the Jardine cm long. The pitchers had a River catchment. The presence papery feel and offered minimal of permanent fresh groundwater resistance to pressure when in the root zone, particularly

18 largest of any of the local species of Nepenthes. Their lower pitchers were at up to 15 cm long by 6 cm diameter for the lower pitchers. Their upper pitchers grew to 20 cm x 8 cm. The cylindrical pitchers are suggestive of past hybridization with N. ampullaria. Strangely, this species did not appear to grow in seemingly suitable wetlands in the Jardine River Figure 17. Colourful jumping catchment. spider observed hunting on N. mirabilis leaves at Eliot Creek. Nepenthes tenax The third described pitcher plant during the long dry season, we observed was N. tenax, which appeared to be a key grew in association with environmental factor that N. rowanae at and near Jacky controlled and limited the Jacky. This species had erect current range of this species in stems to about 1 metre tall and it northern Australia. grew in flooded, low sedgelands generally away from robust Nepenthes rowanae tussocks of Saw Sedge (Figure Nepenthes rowanae was 18). The leaves of this species observed in two flooded were narrowly rectangular, to sedgelands, often in association about 10 cm long by 2 cm broad with large clumps of Saw Sedge and strongly folded along the (Gahnia sp.) in freshwater midrib. The pitchers were wetlands, at and near Jacky narrowly cylindrical to Jacky. Plants formed erect to incipiently obconic. They grew scrambling stems to about 2 up to 16 cm long by 2 cm metres tall with flat alternate diameter. The bulk of the leaves to 40 cm long (See front pitchers sit above the associated cover). The pitchers were ovoid lamina. to cylindrical and were the 19 At the two locations where this species was observed there also appeared to be several plants of N. tenax x mirabilis, based on the presence of intermediate characters (Figure 19). They grew with N. tenax rather than in drier conditions with N. mirabilis. During this fieldtrip we also looked for a putative new Nepenthes taxon, dubbed ‘Mini tenax’. It reportedly grew in the wettest parts of these freshwater wetlands but were smaller in all parts than the typical species. The study of this Figure 19. Putative Nepenthes taxon continues. We saw that it tenax x mirabilis at Jacky Jacky.

Figure 18. Nepenthes tenax at Jacky Jacky growing with Drosera serpens and Utricularia chrysantha.

20 Figure 20. foetida, an exotic proto-carnivorous plant near the tip of Cape York. Glandular floral trap . grew in habitat that is difficult to Bladderworts move around that also is home The most diverse group of for Saltwater Crocodiles. carnivorous plants on Cape York are in the genus Utricularia. They are common components The exotic, part-time proto- of wet grasslands and herbfields. carnivore, Passiflora foetida was They invariably grow with observed in grassland on red species of Byblis, Drosera and ignimbrite rock outcrop at the Nepenthes. The most numbers of start of the walk to the tip of sympatric species of Utricularia Cape York (Figure 20). This seen were at Jacky Jacky in wet vining species has multiply clay loam where nine species divided, filiform bracts that were (U. bifida, U. caerulea, glandular hairy and captured U. chrysantha, U. geoffrayi, insects (Radhamani et al., 1995). U. lasiocaulis, U. limosa, This was locally rare but is U. lowriei, U. minutissima and a widespread weed across the U. quinquedentata) were tropics, including other parts of observed growing together in an Australia. area about 20 metres by 20 metres. It makes for a veritable 21 minefield for soil-living micro- up to about a dozen large yellow organisms. flowers with lower petals to about 1 cm width. This species is widespread in this region, but The largest of the local free- tends to share its habitat with floating bladderworts, U. aurea, Saltwater Crocodiles. So was seen at Lotus Lagoon in botanizing such areas was best The Lakefield National Park just done with extreme care, if it had east of Musgrave (Figure 21). to be done at all. Plants formed stems to about 1 metre long with much divided Utricularia bifida leaves to about 10 cm long with Utricularia bifida was a common three primary axes, and bladders and widespread bladderwort of to about 2 mm long. The scapes creekbanks and creekside seeps emerged clear of the water and soaks at Eliot Falls, Twin surface, sometimes assisted by Falls, Fruit Bat Falls, and also in the development of a whorl of wet clay in short herbfields at fusiform floats on the lower half Jacky Jacky. This bladderwort of the peduncle. The scape had has scapes to about 15 cm tall

Figure 21. Stranded flowering rafts of Utricularia aurea on the edge of Lotus Lagoon near Musgrave.

22 with up to 4 sulphur yellow flowers (Figure 22) that have a distinctive longitudinal bulge at the base of the horizontal lower petal. It frequently grew with Drosera spatulata.

Utricularia caerulea was the most widespread bladderwort observed on our travels due to its ability to grow in a number of different habitats. It was first encountered on a sheltered, moist bank by an intermittent creek south of Musgrave, but was more common and locally abundant in seasonally wet grasslands, Figure 22. Utricularia bifida in herbfields, and permanent flower at Jacky Jacky.

wetlands by creeks in the Jardine River catchment and at Jacky Jacky. Flowering plants were observed at all locations and had scapes up to 20 cm tall with a congested cluster of pale to rarely dark purple flowers near their apex (Figure 23). Plants with shorter scapes, and fewer flowers occurred too. These required closer inspection to differentiate them from Figure 23. Utricularia caerulea U. geoffrayi. scapes with their congested , near Musgrave.

23 Figure 24. Attractive colour form of Utricularia chrysantha at Jacky Jacky.

Utricularia chrysantha Utricularia geoffrayi Utricularia chrysantha is a Utricularia geoffrayi was readily recognizable species. It observed in a few locations was locally abundant in seasonal between Musgrave and Jacky and permanent wetlands, but was Jacky. Due to its small size it less common in creekside was easily overlooked. The wetlands of the Jardine River minutely hairy scapes were up to catchment. The scapes reach 30 7 cm tall and bore one to three cm tall and have many large purple flowers, which have a yellow-petalled flowers with broadly obtriangular lower petal, their distinctly five-lobed lower from which at least half of the petals (Rear Cover). The lower horizontal spur projects. The side of the petals of some plants base of the lower petal was white at Jacky Jacky were a wonderful and supported two prominent, rich orange colour – perhaps to yellow-green ‘eye spots’ either further boost ultraviolet light side of the midline (Figure 25). reflectance from these flowers? Flower colouration was an easy (Figure 24). way to distinguish scapes of this

24 Figure 25. Opening flower of Utricularia geoffrayi with distinctive ‘eye-spots’ species from more robust specimens of U. minutissima.

Utricularia gibba was seen at one location, in a flooded Melaleuca forest just south of the Wenlock River. The plants there had stems to about 15 cm long with short, sparsely divided, linear leaves and traps to about 1 mm long. A few stranded plants on the wet soil of the receding waterline were flowering. They had scapes to about 5 cm long carrying one or two yellow flowers with a lower petal to about 1 cm long (Figure 26). They grew in the company of D. burmanni, D. serpens, U. chrysantha and U. limosa. Figure 26. Utricularia gibba, Wenlock River. 25 Figure 27. Utricularia lasiocaulis flower, Fruit Bat Falls.

Utricularia lasiocaulis populations of this species A few flowering patches of (Lowrie 2014), the base of the U. lasiocaulis were found in peduncle was observed to be short, wet, open herbfield at only sparsely hairy at the Jacky Jacky, and in creekside locations visited. wetlands near Eliot Falls and Fruit Bat Falls. This bladderwort Utricularia limosa has spoon-shaped leaves to 1 cm Plants of U. limosa were long and 2 mm wide and erect, observed at only two locations: single-flowered scapes to about in flooded, low, wet, open 8 cm high. The purple flowers herbfield at Jacky Jacky and in have a broadly triangular lower shallowly flooded Melaleuca petal to about 6 mm long with forest south of the Wenlock two raised yellow ridges at its River. This species had fine, base below the small, obtuse multiply divided leaves that were upper petal (Figure 27). In fixed to in the substrate. contrast to other disjunct The slender scapes were between

26 Figure 28. Utricularia limosa in overlook due to their small size. flower in a shallow wetland near the Wenlock River. Utricularia lowriei One of the surprises of the trip was to find the recently described U. lowriei in low, wet, open herbfield at Jacky Jacky. This ‘insect-flowered’ bladderwort has tan-brown flowers in which the short petals have two long, erect, filiform appendages. The lower petals have three short appendages that were shorter than the spur (Figure 29). The scapes of this species were between 2 and 4 cm tall. Due to their small size and earth-coloured, solitary flowers they were almost impossible to see. That was not until the flowers became obviously illuminated by the mid-afternoon sun. They were first detected by the eagle-eyed Greg Bourke. The plants grew in an area that had been heavily botanized by our 5 and 20 cm tall and produced tour group over the previous two between about 5 and 20 flowers. hours. I suspected that many Each white to pale purple bloom scapes might have been trampled was up to 5 mm across. It has a during this time. The discovery distinctively bilobed lower petal of this species at this location has (Figure 28). Most flowers were greatly extended its known range pollinated. Peak flowering (Jobson, 2013). appeared to have passed and plants of this species were easy to

27 Figure 29. Utricularia lowriei flower at Jacky Jacky.

Figure 30. U. minutissima. which have a white base (Figure 30). The horizontal spur is up to 5 mm long and easily exceeds the lower petal so that its distinctly bifid base is easily observed. Care was needed to differentiate this species from small plants of U. geoffrayi.

Utricularia quinquedentata The unusual U. quinquedentata was observed in abundance in short, wet herbfield at Jacky The diminutive U. minutissima Jacky. A few plants also grew was observed beside a drying near Eliot Falls. This diminutive creekbed near Musgrave beside species has small, spathulate creeks in the Jardine River leaves to 4 mm long and filiform, catchment and in low, wet, short single-flowered scapes to 4 cm herbfield at Jacky Jacky. This tall. The flowers are white, with species has short, often dark red- a deeply divided lower petal, purple scapes to about 5 cm tall with five oblong lobes, and a with a few pale purple flowers. bilobed, white upper petal Each bloom has a subhorizontal, (Figure 31). The entire flower is broadly triangular lower petal to about 2 mm across. It was likely 2.5 mm long by 3 mm wide that this species was present in

28 Utricularia sp. A putative undescribed taxon of Utricularia was observed in a few locations on our travels, such as a creek bank near Musgrave. This taxon has small erect scapes to about 5 cm tall with correspondingly small purple flowers that had a short spur that did not exceed the Figure 31. Utricularia lower petal (Figure 33). They quinquedentata. share features with some other sites we visited, but U. minutissima and require got overlooked. further study.

Utricularia uliginosa General comments was a There is an interesting commonly encountered species assemblage of Trigger Plants in wetlands beside creeks and (Genus Stylidium) on Cape waterfalls in the Jardine River York, which were also of interest catchment. This species also to those on the trip. This exhibited its remarkable ability to included S. schizanthum from colonise creekbeds under fast- moving water up to 1 metre Figure 32. Utricularia uliginosa. deep. In these submerged habitats plants rarely flowered, but produced mats of yellow green leaves that grew up to around 4 cm long. Plants on creekbanks had leaves to about 1 cm long, and also produced scapes to about 20 cm tall. Each scape bore a few purple flowers with their distinctive mound along the mid-line of the horizontal lower petal (Figure 32). 29 Conclusions Cairns and its hinterland was a beautiful setting for the 10th ICPS conference and helped make it a wonderful experience. The conference provided a rare opportunity to catch up with friends and colleagues. It was also an excellent venue to hear about a range of active research projects on carnivorous plants Figure 33. Utricularia sp., near and their conservation, and to Musgrave. hear of some surprising discoveries. near Musgrave Station with its pretty pale pink flowers that had The two fieldtrips provided an a double-hinged labellum. That incredible opportunity to see a feature enabled the flower to great diversity of carnivorous reset and re-fire in a short plants in the wild, often in some timeframe - something not iconic locations. known from any other species. Overall the 10th ICPS and The wetlands at the tip of Cape fieldtrips were excellent and York were a privilege to visit. It memorable events to participate was interesting to see the in. assemblage of carnivorous plants that grew together, Acknowledgements particularly beside permanent Heartfelt thanks to Michelle Leer streams of the Jardine River and Greg Bourke; who made the catchment and in the incredible conference and fieldtrips happen. wetland at Jacky Jacky. The visit Thanks also to all attendees of answered some questions about the conference and fieldtrip why Nepenthes distribution is so (Figure 34), Gary from Heritage restricted in Cape York, but it Tours and the director and staff also raised questions about their of The Cairns Botanic Gardens. origins. 30 Notes to contributors Contributions including articles, letters, photographs and drawings to the journal are greatly appreciated and may be forwarded to the Society's postal address or on-line. The views expressed in this journal are of the authors not necessarily those of the Australasian Carnivorous Plant Society Inc. Contributions to the journal may be submitted on CD, DVD, pen drive or by email. Use Microsoft Word whenever possible. For instructions on submitting photographs and diagrams please contact the editor ([email protected]). Contact details are preferred for publication but may be excluded by author request. Articles may be reproduced with written permission from the Society. Photographs and drawings remain copyright of the author and may not be reproduced without author permission. Dedicated to Conservation and Education © Australasian Carnivorous Plant Society Inc. 2014 Photo by Greg Bourke.

Figure 34. Expedition group shot, Seisia, References: Bourke, G, and Nunn, R. (2012) Australian Carnivorous Plants. Redfern Natural History Productions, Poole. Jobson, RW (2013) Five new species of Utricularia () from Australia. Telopea 15: 127-142 Lowrie, A. (2014) Carnivorous Plants of Australia Magnum Opus. Redfern Natural History Productions, Poole. Radhamani, T.R.; Sudarshana, L. and Krishnan, R. (1995) Defense and carnivory: Dual role of bracts in Passiflora foetida. Journal of Bioscience, 20: 657-664. 31 32