ABSTRACT
Aldrovanda Vesiculosa may be called a miniature aquatic Dionaea. Stein discovered in 1873 that the bilobed leaves, which are generally found closed in Europe, open under a sufficiently high temperature, and when touched, suddenly close. This chapter presents two illustrations, one of a whorl of leaves copied from Professor Cohn's work, and the other of a leaf pressed flat open, drawn by the author's son Francis. It explores differences between Aldrovanda Vesiculosa and Dionaea. Aldrovanda is destitute of roots and floats freely in the water. The leaves are arranged in whorls round the stem. Their broad petioles terminate in from four to six rigid projections there has been much discussion by botanists on the homological nature of these projections. Dr Nitschke believes that they correspond with the fimbriated scale-like bodies found at the bases of the petioles of Drosera. The circumferential part of the leaf of Aldrovanda thus differs greatly from that of Dionaea.
