Utricularia section Benjaminia
Species	Range	Habit1
U. nana	South America	T
1T=terrestrial.

Q: About Utricularia subgenus Bivalvaria section Benjaminia

A: This section of Utricularia has but a single species. The section is rather similar to both sections Stomoisia and Oligocista, but is different because of features in the calyx lobes and other structures.

Despite being the only species (and a small one at that) in an obscure section, U. nana has long been in cultivation.


U. nana Utricularia nana
This little species is very easy to grow under standard terrestrial cultivation methods. The leaves are obovate or linear, undivided, and essentially unremarkable. It has small, fairly unimpressive yellow flowers. For me, the most interesting thing about this plant is that after it flowers, the flower pedicel develops a peculiar, weakly S-shaped curve in it, rather like the neck of an angry goose. Not too shabby for a little species in a lonely section of the genus.

Page citations: Rice, B.A. 2006a; Taylor, P. 1989; personal observations.