and its high affinity for mineral nutrients in water. Reproduction Flowers The small, solitary white flowers of A. vesiculosa are supported above the water by short peduncles which arise from whorl axes. The flower only opens for a few hours, after which the structure is brought back beneath the water for seed production. The seeds are cryptocotylar: the cotyledons remain hidden within the seed coat and serve as an energy store for the seedling. Flowering, however, is rare in temperate regions and poorly successful in terms of fruit and seed development. Divisions Aldrovanda vesiculosa reproduces most often through vegetative reproduction. In favourable conditions, adult plants will produce an offshoot every , resulting in new plants as the tips continue to grow and the old ends die off and separate. Due to the rapid growth rate of this species, countless new plants can be produced in a short period of time in this fashion. Turions Winter-hardy Aldrovanda form turions as a frost survival strategy. At the onset of winter, the growth tip starts producing highly reduced non-carnivorous leaves on a severely shortened stem. This results in a tight bud of protective leaves which, being heavier and having released flotational gases, breaks off the mother plant and sinks to the water bottom, where temperatures are stable and warmer. Here it can withstand temperatures as low as . In the wild, Aldrovanda turions have been observed to have a relatively low rate of successful sinking. Those nutritious turions that fail to sink are then grazed by waterfowl or are killed by the onset of frost. In spring when water temperatures rise above , turions reduce their density and float to the top of the water, where they germinate and resume growth. Non-dormant turion-like organs can also form in response to summer drought. Distribution Aldrovanda vesiculosa is the second most widely distributed carnivorous plant species, only behind utricularia, native to Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Aldrovanda is spread mainly through the movement of waterfowl: plants sticking to the feet of a bird are transported to the next aquatic destination on the bird's route. As a result, most Aldrovanda populations are located along avian migratory routes. Throughout the last century the species has become increasingly rare, listed as extinct in an increasingly large number of countries. In the 1970s, carnivorous plant hobbyists introduced this species to small backyard ponds in the United States in the