Turion duckweed
Lemna turionifera · Aquatic plants
A stand of it · Photo: cwarneke / CC0
Also called Red duckweed, Duckweed
How to identify Turion duckweed
- Looks like common duckweed, fronds 1/16 to 1/8 inch
- Underside often red, especially in cool weather
- Small dark green to olive winter buds form in fall
- One root per frond
Similar plants
Common duckweed lacks the dark winter buds and red underside; checking for buds in fall is the easiest way to tell them apart.
Growth profile
| Growing season | Winter buds rise and grow in spring, fronds peak in summer, and new buds sink to overwinter on the bottom in fall. |
|---|---|
| Starts growing | About 45 to 50 F water |
| Light | Full sun to partial shade |
| Depth | Surface of still water of any depth |
| How it spreads | Budding fronds and winter buds |
| Habitat | Ponds, marshes and ditches, especially in colder interior and mountain areas. |
Why it matters in a lake
Much of what is called common duckweed in the interior is this species. Winter buds on the bottom restart the population each spring.
Where it is found
- Idaho: Occasional
- Oregon: Occasional
- Wyoming: Occasional
Classification
| Kingdom | Plantae |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Tracheophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Order | Alismatales |
| Family | Araceae |
| Scientific name | Lemna turionifera |
Common duckweed
Columbia watermeal
Mosquito fern
Giant duckweed
Star duckweed
Purple fringed riccia
Mexican mosquito fern
Least duckweed
Floating crystalwort
Brazilian watermealNeed a hand?
Is it taking over your lake?
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