>_U.pubescens_ has a strange range. I'm intrigued by these old world species
>that also occur in South America or Mexico. I wonder about evolution of
>the genus and plate tectonics. When Africa separated from S.America, were
>_Utrics_ around and spreading?
I do not think so. When Lentibulariaceae entered the scene of evolution
(some time before Miocene in the Tertiary), the continents were quite
certainly already approximately in the relative positions to each other
which they occupy today. I think these strange disjunct ranges may be
explained by secondary reduction. Nowadays, we see what climatic (or other)
changes have "left over" of the formerly continuous range. However,
_Utricularia_ had to perform "long range dispersal" several times if we
assume that this genus has originated in central America (remember an
earlier posting on that topic).
Kind regards
Jan