TankBud

UG

Utricularia graminifolia

Also known as Grass-leaved bladderwort

FreshwaterCarpetingRunners

UG (Utricularia graminifolia)
Vitro Culture · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Light
Medium light
CO2
CO₂ beneficial
Temperature
64–82°F
18–28°C
Max height
1.6 in
4 cm
Growth rate
Medium
Placement
Foreground
Type
Carpeting
pH
5.0–7.0
Hardness
0–6 dGH
Spread
11.8 in (30 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Difficult
Family
Lentibulariaceae
Origin
South and Southeast Asia (India, Sri Lanka, southern China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam)

Overview

UG is a carpeting plant for the foreground that forms a low lawn. It is rated difficult.

Did you know

UG is a carnivorous plant. Tiny bladder traps along its stolons and leaves catch microorganisms such as infusoria by suction. A plant sold as a lawn is quietly eating the microfauna in your substrate.

Caring for UG

Split UG into small clumps and plant them deep with tweezers, with only the tips showing. Leave gaps for it to fill. It settles best in a mature tank, since it sulks and can melt back in a fresh setup.

UG wants medium light and soft water, with KH kept low at around 3 to 5. It grows without injected CO2, though added CO2 speeds it up. It has no true roots. It feeds from the water and from the tiny prey its traps catch, so give it a light liquid fertilizer and skip root tabs. Keep it at 64 to 82°F (18 to 28°C).

Expect an acclimation period before it starts spreading by runners at a medium pace. Avoid heavy trimming. Once a new plant along a runner has anchored, cut it free and replant it.

Good to know

UG is Utricularia graminifolia, the grass-leaved bladderwort, in the bladderwort family Lentibulariaceae. It is not a true grass despite its name. It has no true roots and anchors itself with a network of branching stolons and fine rhizoids.

In the wild

UG is native to springs, marshes and streambanks across South and Southeast Asia, from India and Sri Lanka through southern China, Myanmar and Indochina. It is an amphibious perennial that grows both submersed and along wet margins. It forms low, grass-like mats up to around 1,500 m elevation in Burma.

Common questions

Does UG need to be planted in the substrate?

Yes. Split it into small clumps and push each one into the substrate with tweezers, leaving gaps for it to fill.

Does UG need CO2?

No, but it helps. UG can grow without injected CO2, and added CO2 makes it grow faster.

How much light does UG need?

UG wants medium light. A light sold for planted tanks covers it.

Does UG need root tabs?

No. UG takes most of its nutrients from the water, so a liquid fertilizer does more for it than root tabs.

How do you propagate UG?

UG propagates by runners. New plants grow along its runners. Cut one free once it has roots and plant it.

How tall does UG grow?

UG grows to about 1.6 in (4 cm) tall. It grows at a moderate pace.

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