SafePlants

Minute Duckweed (Lemna perpusilla)

Minute duckweed, scientifically known as Lemna perpusilla, is a small, free-floating aquatic plant found in various regions.

Considerations for Pets

• As a small, delicate plant, duckweed fronds may be easily ingested by pets with access to water sources where it grows.

Scientific Classification

• Scientific Name: Lemna perpusilla Torr.
• Common Names: Minute duckweed, duckmeal, least duckweed, common duckweed, common waterlens, duckmeat, tropical duckweed (English); lenteja acuatica (Spanish); lenticule (French)
• Kingdom: Plantae
• Division: Tracheophyta
• Class: Magnoliopsida
• Order: Arales
• Family: Araceae (Lemnaceae)
• Taxonomic Rank: Species
• Synonyms: Lemna minuta Kunth

Distribution and Habitat

• Minute duckweed is a native plant found in quiet, nutrient-rich waters.
• In New England, it occurs in Maine, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont.
• Also observed in Arizona and Alabama.
• Eastern USA and Quebec.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

• It is a perennial herb that floats on the water surface.
• It reproduces clonally via fragmentation, forming dense colonies.
• It has fibrous roots and tightly rosetted fronds.
• All species have flattened minute, leaflike oval to round "fronds".

Quirky Facts

• The genus name Lemna is derived from the ancient Greek name for this water plant, given by Theophrastus, the "Father of Botany."
• The species name perpusilla means "very small."

Ecology

• Minute duckweed can purify water, potentially removing copper.
• It adds nutrition to the diets of fish and hens.

Interactions with Other Organisms

• Known pests and problems may affect Lemna perpusilla.
• It can be part of the diet for pigs.
• Cattle egrets are found in rookeries where duckweed is present.

Further Information

• USDA-NRCS PLANTS database
• Endangered Resces Program
• Discover Life
• The Plant List
• ToL (Tree of Life Web Project)
• BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library)
• WikiSpecies