Aquatic plant which floats on the water surface. Flowering stems rise above the water, the rest of the plant's foliage (the leaves) remains under the water's surface. Leaves are many times divided into thread like segments. The leafy stems we measured to 40 cm long. Flowers are yellow with some red spotting, irregular in shape, large lower lip and upper petal, grow in a loose raceme. Flowers to 2 cm long and 1 cm wide, racemes to 11 cm long. We measured flowering stems to 29 cm long (part of which is submerged).
Found occasionally in prairie sloughs, and forest bogs with pools of water.
Small bladders (approx 2 mm in diameter) are found among the leaves. From the book Carnivorous Plants by Randall Schwartz:
The bladder, or trap, is an oval balloon with a double-sealed, airtight door on one end. When the door is closed, the bladder expels water through its walls, creating a partial vacuum inside.
Jutting out near the door is the trigger. Sometimes forked or branched, sometimes single, the device is always deadly. The instant an unsuspecting prey touches the trigger, the door opens. The vacuum inside causes an immediate suction and the victim is gulped up by the plant.
The above photos were taken July 10th and 15th in prairie sloughs 25 km east of Regina, and 50 km southeast of our home in Regina, SK.