Native perennial. This carnivorous plant traps insects, crustaceans, and other small aquatic animals in tiny pouches called bladders. The plant does not have true roots or leaves; it floats freely in the water and most of its parts are coated with a jelly-like substance. The stem tissue is strap-like, thick and flattened; stems can be over 0.4 in (1 cm) wide and elongate to over 3 ft (90 cm). The plant forms dense feathery branches made up of numerous thread-like divisions; a portion of these carry the little green bladders, thickly scattered along the side branches. The spherical bladders have a very short stalk and an opening on one side. Yellow flowers are carried above the water, with up to 20 on the stiff leafless flower stalk 0.4 - 1.2 in (1 - 3 cm) long. Plants can be found in large stands.
