Aldrovanda vesiculosa
Species of plant (waterwheel plant) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Waterwheel plant?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
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.
Aldrovanda vesiculosa | |
---|---|
Scientific 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] | |
|
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.