Not air-filled or used for floatation, they open abruptly when trigger hairs are disturbed, sucking in water and any hapless aquatic creature responsible for setting off the trap. Digestive enzymes and bacteria in the bladder then digest the prey for the nutritional use of the plant, a process typically taking 15 minutes to 2 hours, depending upon the size of the catch. When digestion is complete, special cells extract the nutrient-rich water from the bladder into the stem, thereby restoring the vaccuum and resetting the trap for its next victim. Roots with tiny bladders attached, which trap and digest small intertebrates. Fruit a single chamber, rounded capsule, with central column bearing many seeds.
Acid lakes, sandy or muddy shores, peatlands.