common duckweed

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• common duckweed
• lesser duckweed
• small duckweed
• water lentil
• duckweed
• Boggart
• Groves
• Jenny Greenteeth
• Karearea
• Toadspit

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Lemna vulgaris
• Hydrophace minor
• Lemna minor var. orbiculata
• Lemna minor f. macrorhiza
• Lemna minor var. oxymitra
• Lemna minor var. minima
• Lemna ovata
• Lemna palustris
• Lemna monorhiza
• Lenticula minima
• Lenticula minor
• Lenticularia monorhiza
• Lenticula vulgaris
• Lemna rwandensis

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant, commonly known as common duckweed, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. Within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae, it is classified under the order Alismatales and the family Araceae. Ultimately, its specific taxonomic identity is defined by the genus Lemna.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant is widely distributed across several regions within Northern Europe. It can be found in the waters of Denmark and Finland. Its presence is also noted in the Faroe Islands, which are known as Føroyar. Additionally, the species inhabits various aquatic environments in Great Britain. Finally, its geographical range extends to the island of Iceland.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Lemna minor is characterized by its presence in diverse environments including forests, lakes, and steppe regions. This plant exhibits a broad altitudinal distribution, spanning from sea level up to a maximum elevation of 1600 m AMSL. While its range extends significantly across different topographical layers, the mean elevational range for its habitat is recorded at 2000 m AMSL, reflecting its ability to colonize various aquatic niches within these specific ecosystems.

Elevational range max:

1600 m AMSL

Elevational range mean:

2000 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

forest, lakes, steppe

Life history

The life history of Lemna minor is characterized by a perennial lifecycle, allowing it to persist across multiple growing seasons through rapid vegetative propagation. As a specialized hydrophyte, it is evolutionarily adapted to thrive in aquatic environments, often forming dense floating mats on the surface of still or slow-moving waters. Its biological strategy involves an evergreen nature, maintaining its functional photosynthetic structures throughout the favorable periods of its habitat. Within the classification of plant life forms, it functions as a cryptophyte, relying on its specialized adaptations to survive within its niche, ensuring its continued presence and dominance in freshwater ecosystems.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Life form :

hydrophyte

Life form :

cryptophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Lemna minor is characterized by its diminutive stature, with a mean plant height of approximately 0.007 m and a maximum height reaching up to 0.01 m. As an aquatic organism, it maintains a self-supporting growth habit, lacking any climbing tendencies such as liana or vine structures. The plant is categorized by a growth form of herb and specifically functions as a forb. It is an independent organism, meaning it does not exhibit parasitic behavior, and is classified as terrestrial in its epiphyte status. Structurally, the species is entirely non-woody, possessing a soft, herbaceous composition.

Aquatic :

aquatic

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

0.01 m

Plant height mean:

0.007 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Lemna minor is characterized by a highly efficient C3 photosynthetic pathway, supporting its rapid growth in aquatic environments. The plant's vegetative structure is dominated by small, elliptic fronds that exhibit significant morphological variation; the leaf length typically averages 0.325 cm, ranging from a minimum of 0.15 cm to a maximum of 0.5 cm, while the leaf width averages 0.25 cm, spanning from 0.1 cm to 0.32 cm. This results in a mean leaf size of approximately 0.09 cm². To optimize resource acquisition, the plant maintains a mean Specific Leaf Area (SLA) of 187 cm²/g, reflecting its structural adaptation to floating life. Functionally, Lemna minor is a non-carnivorous organism and does not possess the physiological mechanisms to act as a nitrogen fixer, relying instead on the uptake of dissolved nutrients from its surrounding water medium.

Carnivory :

non-carnivorous

Leaf form :

elliptic

Leaf length max:

0.5 cm

Leaf length mean:

0.325 cm

Leaf length min:

0.15 cm

Leaf size mean:

0.09 cm²

Leaf width max:

0.32 cm

Leaf width mean:

0.25 cm

Leaf width min:

0.1 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Specific Leaf Area (SLA) mean:

187 cm²/g

Reproduction

The reproduction of Lemna minor involves a complex interplay of sexual processes, characterized by bisexual flowers that facilitate reproduction. The flowering period typically begins in April and concludes in June, featuring extremely minute inflorescences with a length ranging from 0.0008 m to 0.001 m. The pollination syndrome is classified as biotic, specifically relying on insects for the transfer of pollen. Regarding the fruit, it is categorized as an achene, which is indehiscent in nature; these fruits are tiny, with a length between 0.08 cm and 0.1 cm and a width between 0.08 cm and 0.11 cm. While self-fertilization is noted as absent, the plant produces seeds that are microscopic, with a mean mass of 0 g, a length between 0.7 mm and 1 mm, and a width between 0.4 mm and 0.6 mm. The dispersal of the species is multifaceted, utilizing both zoochorous and hydrochorous syndromes to spread across aquatic environments. Although asexual reproduction is listed as absent in this specific data profile, the sexual cycle is defined by these highly specialized, minute botanical structures.

Dehiscence :

indehiscent

Dispersal syndrome :

zoochorous

Dispersal syndrome :

hydrochorous

Flowering time :

Apr

Flowering time :

Jun

Fruit length max:

0.1 cm

Fruit length min:

0.08 cm

Fruit type :

achene

Fruit width max:

0.11 cm

Fruit width min:

0.08 cm

Inflorescence length max:

0.001 m

Inflorescence length min:

8e-04 m

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Reproduction asexual :

absent

Reproduction sexual :

bisexual

Seed length max:

1 mm

Seed length min:

0.7 mm

Seed mass mean:

0 g

Seed width max:

0.6 mm

Seed width min:

0.4 mm

Seeds_per_fruit :

0

Self fertilization :

absent

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Lemna minor has 7 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include 1,2,2-Trimethylpropyl methylphosphonofluoridate, Diisopropylphosphorofluoridate, Flavonoids, SODIUM SELENITE, STIGMASTEROL.

1,2,2-Trimethylpropyl methylphosphonofluoridate

1. Chemico-biological interactions

Diisopropylphosphorofluoridate

1. Chemico-biological interactions

Flavonoids

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

SODIUM SELENITE

1. Chemosphere

STIGMASTEROL

1. Plant molecular biology

Se4+

1. Chemosphere

iodine

1. Wiadomosci lekarskie (Warsaw, Poland : 1960)

Medicinal Uses

Lemna minor has 2 reported medicinal uses identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase.

Most Reported Uses