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The plant above was received from UC Davis. The above top left photo was taken on 19 October 03; the right on 25 January 04. The next 3 photos were taken on 25 June 05.
It is hard for me to generalize about the U. reniformis 'Big Sister' flower timing. Until this year, I would have said the flower stalks emerged a month or so after the leaves emerged (flowering sometime from June till October). It just seems to happen at random times. However, this year (March 31, 2010) the plant is putting up a flower stalk just as the leaves are beginning to emerge from dormacy. Notice the flower stalk (which so far is over 30 inches tall) is coming from a stolon that emerged from a bottom drain hole. The dead leaves are from last summer.
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I have had the small variety of U. reniformis (U. 'Enfant Terrible') for 5 years and it has never flowered for me.
The ICPS database states: "The primary distinction between the two cultivars of [Utricularia reniformis {St.Hil.}] is size. At maturity, [Utricularia 'Big Sister' {B.Rice & M.Studnicka}] consistently produces large leaves i.e. at least 8 cm in diameter. One of us (MS) has even observed a greenhouse specimen with leaves 22.2 cm in diameter, on a petiole 46 cm tall! Mature [Utricularia 'Big Sister' {B.Rice & M.Studnicka}] specimens do not produce abundant small leaves (in contrast with [Utricularia 'Enfant Terrible' {B.Rice & M.Studnicka}], described below). A second feature distinguishing the two cultivars is the incision into the leaf where the petiole attaches to the leaf blade. In [Utricularia 'Big Sister' {B.Rice & M.Studnicka}], this cut is narrow (i.e. acute). See, for examples, the leaf lamina outlines in Taylor (1989), Figure 131 (figure elements 2,3,4). Floral characters are not considered important in distinguishing these two cultivars. Of the two Utricularia reniformis cultivars, [Utricularia 'Big Sister' {B.Rice & M.Studnicka}] seems to be slightly more challenging to grow well. The giant leaves are not developed to perfection if the conditions are inadequate. This plant may perhaps be treated best as an epiphyte, and should be grown in a comparatively light, airy mix. Humidity should be high."