Aldrovanda vesiculosa

Aldrovanda vesiculosa
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Droseraceae
Genus: Aldrovanda
Species:
A. vesiculosa
Binomial name
Aldrovanda vesiculosa
Distribution
Synonyms[2]
  • Drosera aldrovanda F.Muell.
  • Anacampseros polyphylla (Haw.) Sweet
  • Ruelingia polyphylla Haw.
  • Aldrovanda generalis E.H.L.Krause
  • Aldrovanda verticillata Roxb.
  • Aldrovanda vesiculosa var. australis Darwin
  • Aldrovanda vesiculosa var. duriaei Casp.
  • Aldrovanda vesiculosa var. rubescens A.T.Cross & Adamec
  • Aldrovanda vesiculosa var. verticillata (Roxb.) Darwin
  • Talinum polyphyllum (Haw.) Link
Germinating Aldrovanda seeds

Aldrovanda vesiculosa, commonly known as the waterwheel plant, is the sole extant species in the flowering plant genus Aldrovanda of the family Droseraceae. The plant captures small aquatic invertebrates using traps similar to those of the Venus flytrap. The traps are arranged in whorls around a central, free-floating stem, giving rise to the common name. This is one of the few plant species capable of rapid movement.

While the genus Aldrovanda is now monotypic, up to 19 extinct species are known in the fossil record.[3][4][5] While the species displays a degree of morphological plasticity between populations, A. vesiculosa possesses a very low genetic diversity across its entire range.[5]

A. vesiculosa has declined over the last century to only 50 confirmed extant populations worldwide. These are spread across Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia.[5] However, potentially invasive populations exist in the eastern United States.[6] It is kept by hobbyists.

  1. ^ Cross, A. 2012. Aldrovanda vesiculosa. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. Downloaded on 17 October 2012.
  2. ^ "Aldrovanda vesiculosa L." Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  3. ^ Huber, H. (1961). "Aldrovanda". In Hegi (ed.). Illustrierte Flora von Mitteleuropa. Vol. IV (2a) (2nd ed.). Munich: Carl Hanser Verlag. pp. 18–20.
  4. ^ Degreef, J. D. (1997). "Fossil Aldrovanda". Carnivorous Plant Newsletter. 26 (3): 93–97. doi:10.55360/cpn263.jd244. S2CID 254447433.
  5. ^ a b c Cross, A. (2012). "Aldrovanda, The Waterwheel Plant". Carnivorous Plants of Britain and Ireland. Dorset, UK: Redfern Natural History Productions.
  6. ^ Renault, Marion (2019-08-13). "This Carnivorous Plant Invaded New York. That May Be Its Only Hope". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-10-02.