Least duckweed
Lemna minuta · Aquatic plants
A stand of it · Photo: Jose Castro / CC BY
Also called Minute duckweed, Lemna minuscula
How to identify Least duckweed
- Very small fronds under 1/16 inch
- Only 1 faint vein
- One root per frond; often mixed with common duckweed
- Fronds thin and slightly translucent
Similar plants
Common duckweed is larger with 3 veins, and watermeal has no roots.
Growth profile
| Growing season | Grows from spring, peaks in mid to late summer, and survives winter at low numbers. |
|---|---|
| Starts growing | About 50 F water |
| Light | Full sun to partial shade |
| Depth | Surface of still water of any depth |
| How it spreads | Budding fronds |
| Habitat | Quiet, nutrient rich ponds, ditches and slow water at low elevations. |
Why it matters in a lake
Easily overlooked because it mixes with other duckweeds. It can reach full cover in warm, nutrient rich ponds.
Where it is found
- Idaho: Rare
- Oregon: Occasional
- Wyoming: Not recorded
Classification
| Kingdom | Plantae |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Tracheophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Order | Alismatales |
| Family | Araceae |
| Scientific name | Lemna minuta |
Common duckweed
Columbia watermeal
Mosquito fern
Giant duckweed
Star duckweed
Purple fringed riccia
Turion duckweed
Mexican mosquito fern
Floating crystalwort
Brazilian watermealNeed a hand?
Is it taking over your lake?
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