What is the Waterwheel Plant?

The Waterwheel plant is wholly aquatic species, so the only thing that ever pokes out of the water is the flower. It produces a single white flower atop a short peduncle that branches off of the main stem/whorl of leaves. This solitary flower only opens for a few short hours. Once closed, the flower is drawn back into the water where seed production occurs. The seed leaves, or cotyledons, remain within the seed coat and act as a source of energy storage for developing seeds.  They are entirely aquatic and float freely, without roots just below the surface of the water.  Whorls of tiny snap-traps string together to form little plants 3-4″ long.  The traps snap shut on all kinds of aquatic creatures, but they are prone to catching mosquito larvae by the head.  They are extremely endangered in the wild.  They’re native to the old world; Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. Flowering, in general, is rather rare, especially in temperate regions. They infrequently pollinate and produce seed, so your best and quickest bet for propagation is to divide Aldrovandavesiculousa.

The post What is the Waterwheel Plant? appeared first on interaksyonph.