What is the common name of the aquatic carnivorous plant Aldrovanda vesiculosa?
Answer
Waterwheel plant
Answer
Waterwheel plant
What is the common name of the aquatic carnivorous plant Aldrovanda vesiculosa? It is called the waterwheel plant.
Aldrovanda vesiculosa is a small, free-floating, rootless aquatic plant in the family Droseraceae. Its leaves grow in whorls around a central stem, creating a wheel-like appearance that inspired the common name. The plant is the only living species in the genus Aldrovanda, although fossil evidence records several extinct relatives.
Its traps resemble miniature underwater Venus flytraps. Each trap has two lobes and closes rapidly when aquatic invertebrates touch sensitive trigger hairs. The plant commonly feeds on zooplankton and other tiny organisms. Unlike a pitcher plant, it does not rely on a deep container of digestive liquid, and unlike a bladderwort, it does not capture prey by suction.
The waterwheel plant lives in clean, shallow, nutrient-poor standing water, including fens, ponds, lakes, lagoons, and river backwaters. It has declined across much of its range and is considered rare in many countries. Wild populations are scattered across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia, making this unusual carnivore both geographically widespread and locally vulnerable.
Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Aug. 2026