Description: This species is a perennial, free-floating, rootless aquatic herbaceous plant, with a simple or sparsely branched stem possessing successive whorls of bristled, prey-catching leaves. The leaves are arranged in whorls of 4-9, measuring up to 23 mm in diameter, and are basally fused with a swollen, dorsally flattened petiole that broadens upwards before dividing into 3-8 terminal, filiform bristles of 4-8 mm length. Stem length is dependent upon water quality, prey abundance and irradiance, but is commonly between 6-20 cm. The compact, whorled structure of the species provides the plant with an almost cylindrical appearance, and gives rise to the species common name of the "Waterwheel Plant".4
Culture: Use a large tank in a sunny location, with a layer of peat, sphagnum, and loam on the bottom. Small aquatic animals (snails, daphnia, etc.) control algae and provide prey, and may be introduced along with muck and debris from a pond bottom, or from an established tank. A pot of Typha or some large, easily thinned floating aquatics like Eichhornia, are useful companion plants. Tanks should be carefully flushed with clear or DI water periodically, to prevent the buildup of salts. Growth should be rapid in warm weather; Darwin Australia is tropical, and Aldrovanda from that locality is definitely at its best in the summer months. The addition of trace elements (esmigram) may be beneficial if growth slows despite appropriate temperatures and lighting. CO2 injection is also appreciated. Keep floating plants thinned.
W/C = Wild Collected = indicates flowering in past 14 days
= images available for this accession
= map available for this accession
= accession added within past 90 days