As an initial study of carnivorous plants in Great Swamp, Kent County, Maryland, a locally-rare setting, several species of bladderworts were identified and their preference for particular sites studied in the wild and in the laboratory. One species, Utricularia geminiscapa (Lentibulariaceae), which was not previously identified in lists for Great Swamp, grew sparsely in addition to three species (U. macrorhiza, U. gibba, U. intermedia) previously known from this site. These latter three occurred in abundance, though U. intermedia grew in highly specific locations with shallow water and moderate shade. Conditions such as light levels and concentrations of various inorganic components of the aquatic environment were recorded over a period of six weeks, during which time the bloom of U. macrorhiza peaked and then waned while U. gibba began to bloom. Both sites favored and sites disfavored by these various species were examined for correlation with plant growth. To the same end, samples of several species were also cultivated under conditions in the laboratory chosen to mimic conditions in favored or disfavored sites in the wild. In particular, levels of [CO2] and light were studied as they affected various growth parameters. Levels of [CO2] and light in Great Swamp seemed to be best for either increase in length or trap production for at least two of the species studied.

Key words: bladderwort, carnivorous, CO2, Lentibulariaceae, light, Utricularia