Duckweed
Lemna
Summary 5
Lemna, commonly called duckweed, is a perennial aquatic plant that is known to be the smallest flowering plant. Duckweed is native to North America and can be used to clean polluted waters as well as to feed livestock. There are 9 different species that grow in North America.
Botanical Information 6
Duckweed is a vascular plant. The class of this plant is Magnoliophyta, the order is Arales, the family is Lemnaceae, the genus Lemna L., and a common species is Lemna minor L. We can determine from its classification that duckweed prefers to live in water. It can grow on or just below the surface of the water. These plants can grow like vines getting long and latching onto things. It looks like a small four leaf clover that floats above water. The fronds are oval shaped. Duckweed may lack a stem, leaves, and roots in some species. Duckweed multiply when the vegetative buds grow new stems attaching to one another creating chains, but also can propagate from plants bumping into each other called "contact pollination". This plant can become invasive in some ecosystems.
Ecological Information 7
Duckweed likes to grow in warm, slow moving to still waters, and can grow at a very fast pace. It can be found throughout most of the United States and Canada. Duckweed has the smallest flowers known, but these flowers can attract insects and spiders. One type of animal that eats duckweed is fish. This plant can also be used as defensive cover for many aquatic creatures. Duckweed that has been used to clean polluted water can be scooped out of that water and fed to livestock or used as fertilizer without retaining the harmful pollutants.
Ethnobotanical Information 7
Duckweed has shown potential for being high in protein and is edible for humans, fish, and livestock. Some people say it tastes similar to spinach. Today studies are being done on ways to manufacture insulin and certain proteins from duckweed for future bio-medicines.
Resources 8
Cross, J. W. (2002). Botanical Facts, The Smallest Flowering Plants. The Charms of Duckweed. Retrieved October 5, 2021 from https://thecharmsofduckweed.org/duckweed.htm
Fertig, W. (n.d). Common duckweed (Lemna minor). USDA U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved October 5, 2021 from
https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/lemna_minor.shtml
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. (n.d.). Duckweed. In AquaPlant Database. Retrieved October 5, 2021 from https://aquaplant.tamu.edu/plant-identification/alphabetical-index/duckweed/
Wickison, M. (July 26, 2021). The Benefits of Growing Duckweed. OWLCATION. Retrieved October 5, 2021 from https://owlcation.com/stem/duckweed
About the Author 7
Student author(s)*: Nevaeh (age 12) and Ezekiel (age 13) from South Valley Academy
*The entries in this field guide have been edited by Yerba Mansa Project staff to ensure that they contain quality, fact-checked content and standardized formatting. https://yerbamansaproject.org/
Sources and Credits
- (c) Andreas Rockstein, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/74738817@N07/35178684790/
- (c) Andreas Rockstein, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/74738817@N07/37167188482/
- (c) stanze, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanzebla/29453706280/
- (c) Andreas Rockstein, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/74738817@N07/28389530753/
- Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemna
- Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) kristen_himm, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
- Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
- Adapted by Kiley Spurlock from a work by (c) kristen_himm, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
More Info
iNat Map
| Type | herb |
|---|---|
| Uses | bioremediation, edible, medicinal |
| Habitat | aquatic |
| Flower | white to green |
| Native | yes |
| Life cycle | perennial |
