Turion:
Here is a much closer view of a leafy shoot, showing a turion produced in anticipation of the winter. Pretty neat, huh? This is
the bud in which the plant will survive the cold, frozen Massachusetts winter. The technical nature of the leaves in this
photograph (i.e., leaf spines, terminal leaflet shape) will satisfy those who would like proof these plants are not
Utricularia ochroleuca or Utricularia minor.
By the way, the turion consists of countless densely packed, reduced leaves. All the leaves on
Utricularia intermedia have tiny spines
(called setulae) on their margins. Although the turion leaves are reduced in size, the setulae are not. That is why the bud
looks fuzzy;
its exterior is covered by a mass of tiny spines. Presumably this helps protect the turion from being eaten.
Here is another view of turions to satisfy those who never tire of
looking at them. Count me in that group.
