Bladderworts can be found on almost every
continent. Various species float around in
bogs or ponds. Others grow under damp,
sandy soil or in swamplands. Bladderworts
consist of thin, rootless, creeping or floating
stems with feathery branches. Many are 3
feet long. Growing from the stems are
hundreds, possibly thousands, of bladders,
or clear hollow bags, which are about the
size of a pinhead. Each bladder has an
opening covered by a hinged door at one
end. Long hairs surrounding this opening
guide prey closer to where the plant can
reach it. At the base of the entrance are 4
bristles that point outward. As soon as a
small organism, such as a water flea, trips
one of these bristles, the door swings
inward, pulling the flea like a vaccum cleaner.
The door slams shut, excess water is
pumped out, and a sticky liquid tightly seals
the entrance. This entire action takes about
as long as a blink of an eye.

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A Bladderwort

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