SHORT COMMUNICATION | Philippine Journal of Systematic Biology New Distributional Records of Utricularia striatula Smith (Lentibulariaceae) in Mindanao, Philippines Mark Arcebal K. Naive1, Dave P. Buenavista2,3 and Noe P. Mendez2* ABSTRACT KEY WORDS : Utricularia striatula (Lentibulariaceae) is reported for the first time in the Southern Bladderwort Philippines and represents a new record for Mindanao Island. Full descriptions of the Bukidnon Carnivorous plant species, its habitat ecology, along with photographs are provided. Lithophytic INTRODUCTION In December 2016, a small population of what was suspected to be a new Utricularia species was discovered Bladderworts are small carnivorous plants belonging to the in two localities, namely Barangay Kibalabag in Malaybalay Lentibulariaceae. This group is represented by three genera City and Barangay San Jose in Quezon municipality, both with 280 species distributed throughout the world with the in the province of Bukidnon. Field collection of voucher greatest species richness in the tropical regions (Taylor, 1989; specimens and taxonomic identification were carried out Fischer et al., 2004). These plants are commonly found as using plant samples and spirit collection of the flowers. epiphytic plants inhabiting a wide range of habitats including Morphological examination showed that the specimens wet grounds, ponds, lakes, and other marshy areas and conformed to the description of Utricularia striatula Smith, seasonal deserts (Bhowmik & Datta, 2012). In the Philippines, commonly known as the striped bladderwort (Verma et al., the bladderwort family is represented by a single genus, 2014). U. striatula is a widely distributed species but was Utricularia L. with nine species (Pelser et al., 2011). previously known and recorded only in some provinces on Luzon island and in Negros Occidental on Negros Island in Utricularia is a cosmopolitan genus of small carnivorous herbs the Philippines (Pelser et al., 2011 onwards). Thus, this of wet habitats with minute submerged or subterranean suction present paper reports on the extended Philippine traps (Ridley, 1923). They are distributed mostly in the tropics distribution with additional notes on the habitat ecology of and subtropics; only a few are temperate (Cook, 1996). This U. striatula specifically from the province of Bukidnon on plant group was first described by Linnaeus (1753) in “Species Mindanao island. Herbarium specimens and spirit collection Plantarum” with seven species and has remained poorly known were deposited at the Central Mindanao University until the first monograph of this genus was published (Taylor, Herbarium (CMUH), Musuan, Bukidnon, Philippines. 1989). This was then followed by several discoveries of new taxa (Janarthanam & Henry, 1992; Yadav et al., 2000; Parnell, Utricularia striatula Smith. Rees, Cyclop. 37 (1819) no. 17 2005; Rahman, 2005; Yadav et al., 2005; Hu et al., 2007; (Fig. 1) Lowrie et al., 2008; Zamudio & Olvera, 2009). Small, perennial lithophytic herbs, reaching up to 8 cm 1 Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science and tall, variously and microscopically papillose; Rhizoids up to Mathematics, Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of 2.5 cm long, simple, few; stolons up to 9 cm long, simple, Technology, Iligan City, 9200 Lanao del Norte, Philippines 2Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Central rarely branched, glandular. Foliar organs with Mindanao University, University Town, Musuan, 8710 Bukidnon, pseudopetiole, up to 15 mm long, orbicular to obovate, Philippines rosulate at scape base, scattered on stolons, expanded 3Department of Environment, Natural Resources and Geography, portion up to 5 mm across, veins dichotomously branched. Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2UW, Wales, U.K. Traps up to 1.5 mm across, globose to obliquely ovoid; *Corresponding author: [email protected] mouth lateral; appendages glandular, hairy, on expanded, Date Submitted: 26 March 2017 divergent upper lip. Racemes up to 10 cm long, erect, often Date Accepted: 31 March 2018 zigzag, glabrous to sparsely glandular, up to 10-flowered; © Association of Systematic Biologists of the Philippines Volume 11 Issue 2 - 2017 Philippine Journal of Systematic Biology | Naive et al.: New Distributional Records of Utricularia striatula in Mindanao Table 1. Utricularia species present in the Philippines (Based on Taylor, 1977; Taylor, 1989; Lal et al., 2003; Pelser et al., 2011 onwards; Landsdown et al., 2013). SPECIES ELEVATION DISTRIBUTION HABITAT U. aurea Lour. near sea level to India to China, Taiwan, and Japan A long shallow lake margins, 2700 masl through Malesia to tropical Australia. sluggish streams, swamps, in- Philippines (Northern Luzon (Cagayan, undated rice paddies at low and Palawan and Mindanao) medium elevation, pools, river backwaters, rice fields U. australis R. Brown 1300-2500 masl W Europe to China and Japan, tropical Lakes, pools, river backwaters, and S Africa, India, Sri Lanka, Sumatra, ditches rice fields Java, Philippines, New Guinea, Australia U. baouleensis A. near sea level Tropical Africa from Mali to Mozambique, Wet grasslands, rice fields Chevalier Madagascar, India, Hainan, Thailand, E Java, Philippines (Luzon) U. bifida Linnaeus near sea level to India to China and Japan, Indochina, Swamps or marshes, wet soils, 1400 masl Malesia (not recorded in Sunda Islands, rocks, rice fields but present in Kangean Islands or Moluc- cas, but common elsewhere) to N Aus- tralia. U. caerulea Linnaeus near sea level to India to China and Japan, across Malesia Damp or wet open sites, Wet 2000 masl (not recorded in Sunda Islands and Sula- rocks, swamps, stream sides, wesi) to Australia rice fields, wet grassland, damp places U. exoleta R. Brown N/A Tropical Africa, Portugal, India to China Shallow still water in lakes, and Japan, across Malesia (but unre- swamps and marshes, usually corded from the Lesser Sunda Islands) at low altitudes U. heterosepala Benj. N/A Philippines (Luzon, Palawan, Sibuyan) Lowlands to medium altitudes, lithophytic in damp forests and along streams and creeks U. minutissima Vahl near sea level India to China and Japan, Indochina, Su- Sandy soil in open areas, matra, Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, grassy places, wet rocks; near Philippines, New Guinea sea level. U. striatula Smith 400-3600 masl Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Damp rocks, tree trunks Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam; tropical Africa, Indian Ocean islands (N Andaman Islands), northeast India (Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim) © Association of Systematic Biologists of the Philippines Volume 11 Issue 2 - 2017 | 53 Philippine Journal of Systematic Biology | Naive et al.: New Distributional Records of Utricularia striatula in Mindanao Figure 1. Utricularia striatula Smith. A) Habit; B) Close-up (anterior) view of the flower; C) Close-up (lateral) of the flower. Photos provided by MAKN and NPM. Scales if present 1-1.5 mm long, medifixed; Bracts 0.6-2 mm river at an elevation 326 masl. Other reports of U. striatula long, medifixed, constricted at the middle, limbs unequal; populations were observed associated with mosses and blue bracteoles 0.7-1.5 mm long, medifixed, limbs unequal; green algae along the road sides in Maredumilli Forest in Flowers up to 10 mm long; Pedicels 1.5-7 mm long, filiform, India (Prakasa Rao et al., 2014), steep stony road side slope spreading in anthesis, spreading or recurved in fruit, papillose with seepage water, growing with liverworts and in least in fruiting. Calyx lobes highly unequal, papillose; cyanophytes in a locality south of Bomdila in India (Liden & upper lobe 1.2-4 x 2-4 mm, obovate to obcordate, Bharali, 2014), growing on wet rock or even on tree trunks in emarginate, truncate or obtuse at apex; lower lobe 0.6-2 x 0.4 northeast India (Verma et al., 2014) and can be found from -2 mm, oblong to ovate, truncate, notched or rounded at apex. sea level to the highest peak of Gunung Tahan, usually in Corolla pink, lilac, violet, white to variously tinged, often acidic conditions in Peninsular Malaysia (Chew, 2009, 2010). yellow blotched near base; upper lip 0.6-2 mm across, semi- orbicular to deltoid, bidentate, truncate or irregular at apex; The body plan of Utricularia species is peculiar, plastic and lower lip 3-7 x 3-10 mm, 3- or 5-lobed, throat hairy, base unique among flowering plants. It is capable of changing its raised or flat, rounded or truncate at apices of lobes; spur 1-6 resources investment to match varying water chemistry, mm long, cylindrical or conical, rarely reduced to a mound, irradiance level and prey availability (Jobson & Morris, 2001; obtuse, acute or retuse at apex. Stamens up to 1.2 mm long; Adamec, 2007). Thus, the preferential occurrence of filaments strap-shaped, curved; anther thecae subdistinct. U. striatula near bodies of water may be due to the Pistil up to 1.2 mm long; ovary obliquely ovoid, attached to availability of the plant’s common prey such as rotifers, base of upper calyx-lobe; style distinct; stigma 2-lipped, lower tardigrades, and copepods among others which are sources lip oblong to semi-orbicular, upper lip obsolete. Seeds 0.3-0.4 of macronutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) (Poppinga et mm long, clavate, cylindrical or oblong, attached radially to al., 2016). placentum, glochidiate. Global Distribution: Tropical Africa (but apparently absent Habitat/Ecology: In Barangay Kibalabag (8°13'38"N, 125° from Madagascar), India to China, Indochina and throughout 9'49"E), Malaybalay City,