Aldrovanda vesiculosa L.

Locations ofAldrovanda vesiculosa L. in Virginia

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Detail

Family
Droseraceae
Botanical Name
Aldrovanda vesiculosa L.
Common Name
Waterwheel Plant
Synonym(s)
Flora of Virginia Name/Status
Aldrovanda vesiculosa L.
Comments
The Waterwheel Plant is an aquatic carnivorous plant that is native to a large part of the Old World. The populations discovered since 2013 at Fort A.P. Hill are some of only a few records from North America. Ironically, while the species has declined precipitously in its native range over the last century and is now considered endangered or extinct in some countries, it is behaving as an invasive at its Virginia sites. Easily spread by waterfowl or boaters, this species is likely to become established more widely in suitable Virginia habitats.
Habitat
Escaped from a nearby cultivated population and abundantly established in old impoundments at Fort A.P. Hill Military Reservation in Caroline County. These habitats can be generally characterized as acidic, nutrient-poor, permanently flooded wetlands.
Native Status
Introduced

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