Lemna is a genus of free-floating aquatic plants referred to by the common name "duckweed". They are morphologically divergent members of the arum family Araceae.

The duckweeds (genus Lemna) and related genera of the duckweed family (Lemnaceae) are the smallest flowering plants known. Individual plants consist of a single, flat oval leaf (technically a modified stem) no more than ¼ of an inch long that floats on the surface of still-moving ponds, lakes, and sloughs.

There are three common types of duckweed in North America. Click on the buttons to learn more about each species. Learn more about Duckweed. View plant photos, descriptions, maps, treatment options, and more.

May 7, 2024 · Duckweed (Lemna spp.) is one of the smallest flowering plants on Earth. Adaptable to a wide range of temperatures, it can be grown outdoors on home ponds and indoors, near a sunny window, in large aquariums.

Apr 2, 2025 · Leaf-like petals of common duckweed. Comparison of common and giant duckweed. but it can take over larger, nutrient-enriched ponds. Several species of duckweed can often be found growing together. Common duckweed (L. minor) is found throughout Mississippi. Although a native species to the state, it can be highly invasive and problematic.

Apr 21, 2021 · On further investigation, I found that it was actually covered with a very small aquatic plant called Duckweed (Lemna spp). Smaller than a pinky fingernail and similar in leaf shape to a clover, duckweed is the smallest flowering plant known to botany.

Lemna minor, the common duckweed [2] [3] or lesser duckweed, is a species of aquatic freshwater plant in the subfamily Lemnoideae of the arum family Araceae. [4] L. minor is used as animal fodder, bioremediator, for wastewater nutrient recovery, and other applications.

Among the smallest of all flowering plants, common duckweed is a free -floating aquatic perennial that forms a floating mat of minute foliage on the water surface.

Lemna species - Duckweeds. Lemna trisulca - Ivy-leaved Duckweed is easiest to identify. Lemna gibba - Fat Duckweed. This is thought to be the commonest dickweed, but is often mistaken for Lemna minor. It is broadest near the obliquely asymmetric bluntly-rounded apex. The lacuna can be seen by holding up to the light.

This is the only Lemna species that produces turions (overwintering buds). A detailed species description is provided in Flora North America. Additionally, Wayne Armstrong provides detailed taxonomic information for separating species in the Lemnaceae, as well as many good photos.