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Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Valdivia Duckweed-Lemna valdiviana

Ready for a tiny plant? What you're seeing in the above photo are three separate duckweed plants resting in the palm of my hand. Duckweeds are free-floating aquatic plants, and the kind found in this area is the Valdivia Duckweed (Lemna valdiviana). It has traditionally been put into the Duckweed Family (Lemnaceae), but the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group places it in the Arum Family (Araceae).

Duckweed is a perennial monocot and has a flower, but the flower is usually so tiny that it's not noticeable. Duckweeds can also grow by daughter plants budding off from an adult plant, and in this manner can cover a waterway quickly.

Duckweed doesn't look too impressive from a distance, and in fact is often overlooked by most people. It's a good indicator of perennial water and is used for numerous studies and in aquaculture. To learn more about duckweed in general, click here, and about Valdivia Duckweed in particular, click here.

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