Aldrovanda Vesiculosa

Aldrovanda vesiculosa, the waterwheel plant, is the sole aquatic member of the family Droseraceae and the closest living relative of the Venus flytrap. It is a free-floating, rootless aquatic plant found in still or slow-moving fresh waters across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia, though wild populations have declined dramatically worldwide. Like the Venus flytrap, it captures prey—aquatic microinvertebrates such as water fleas, mosquito larvae, and small crustaceans—using a snap-trap mechanism; the traps close in as little as 20 milliseconds. Cultivation is demanding: the plant requires soft, slightly acidic, clean water (pure water or rainwater), strong light, warm temperatures (20–30°C), and sufficient aquatic microorganisms for prey. It is one of the very few fully aquatic carnivorous plants and an object of intense botanical interest.

Aquatic micro organisms