The plant is a carnivorous, aquatic (free floating) or semi-aquatic (attached to wetland soil, but with no roots) herb, forming mats or colonies. Its preferred habitat is ponds, lakes, pools and ditches, shores, sloughs and swamps. Distribution is throughout the Escambia region.

The stems are subterranean or above ground, branched and unbranched. simulating leaves. Some have tiny urn-like bladders that trap and digest insects and crustaceans. The branches are linear , filiform, dentate, or in a rosette pattern.

The flowers are solitary and small. The corolla is two-lipped with five lobes and may appear as white, yellow, pink or purple; produced just above the water or wet soil; usually conspicuous because of abundance. Flowers occur in the summer and autumn.

Fruit is a capsule.