Growing on a muddy, calcareous seep among the grasses on the shore of a small prairie lake

Small insectivorous plant with bright yellow-green leaves with rolled edges. Single purple flowers, irregular, with a 3-lobed lower lip, 2-lobed upper lip, and a white throat. I measured the flowers to 12 mm diameter, with the largest flower having a spur 6 mm long and the entire flower being 2 cm long. Leaves are all in a basal rosette, plants I photographed has leaves to 2.5 cm long and 1 cm wide.

Small plants, tallest flower scape in above photos was only 5 cm; but I have seen them growing about twice that high.

The leaves are covered with a greasy / buttery substance which traps small insects, and eventually the insect is absorbed by the leaves. The plant's habitat is infertile bogs, and wet limey (calcareous) soil on the prairies. It consumes insects to provide itself with additional nitrogen. The reference books say it eats the same small flying insects which pollinate it.

Not common, listed as an S2S3 by the Saskatchewan Conservation Data Centre (as of 2004).

Took the photos May 27th growing on a seep beside a prairie lake, about 70 km east of our home in Regina, SK and July 4th in a fen in Duck Mountain Provincial Park about 300 km northeast of Regina, SK.