Family:
Araceae Juss.
Genus:
Lemna L.

Lemna minor L.

This species is accepted, and its native range is N. & Central America, Temp. & Subtropical Old World. It is used as animal food and a medicine.

[FTEA]

Lemnaceae, F. N. Hepper. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1973

Morphology General Habit
Free-floating aquatic.
Morphology General Thallus
Thallus dark green, symmetrical, flat, oblong-ovate. 2.5–6 mm. long, 1.5–4 mm. wide, rather obscurely 3-nerved, without large airspaces evident beneath.
Morphology Roots
Root solitary, arising along a shallow groove; sheath unwinged; root-cap obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Floral pocket lateral; spathe open at the top. Pistillate flower solitary. Staminate flowers 2, each with a single stamen.
sex Male
Staminate flowers 2, each with a single stamen.
sex Female
Pistillate flower solitary.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seed solitary, not ribbed, reticulate.
Figures
Fig. 1/3, p. 3.
Habitat
Surface of pools at cooler altitudes; up to 1800 m.
Distribution
K4 U2 widespread elsewhere

[UPFC]
Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean. Colombian departments: Bogotá DC.
Conservation
IUCN Red List Assessment (2021): LC.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, artificial - terrestrial.

[CATE]

CATE Araceae, 17 Dec 2011. araceae.e-monocot.org

Vernacular
Lesser Duckweed, or Duckmeat
Diagnostic
Fronds not coloured on the lower surface or if slightly reddish, the upper surface is more intensely coloured; does not occur in East Asia. Thallus with small cells and small airspaces; root arising in a groove. Root sheath not winged.
General Description
FRONDS 1-8 (very rarely up to 10) mm long, 0.6-5.0 (very rarely up to 7.0) mm wide, 1 1/3-2 times as long as wide; shiny on the upper surface; with some indistinct papules along the median line (papules near the tip and above the node somewhat larger than the ones between), with 3 (rarely up to 4-5) nerves; if 4-5 nerves present the outer lateral nerves originate from the lower part of the inner lateral nerves,; never gibbous (not thicker than about 1 mm), on the upper surface occasionally diffusely reddish (especially during the cold season), on the lower surface very rarely slightly reddish (but much less intensely than on the upper surface); greatest distance between the inner lateral nerves in or somewhat below the middle of the nerves; largest air spaces rarely wider than 0.3 mm; rootcap usually rounded (living and dried material) ; no rootless turions which sink to the bottom of the water present. INFLORESCENCE: Plants occasionally flowering and very rarely fruiting. Ovary with 1 ovule; style 0.10-0.15 mm long INFRUCTESCENCE: fruit 0.8-1.0 mm long, 0.8-1.1 mm wide, with winged margin; wing 0.05-0.10 mm wide; seed 0.7-1.0 mm long, 0.4-0.6 mm thick, whitish, with 10-16 distinct ribs, stays within the fruit wall after ripening.
Habitat
Stagnant waters, covering the surface with a green mantle
Distribution
Temperate regions of the whole world except East Asia and Australia (introduced around Melbourne), with relatively mild winters

[UPFC]
Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.

Native to:

Afghanistan, Alabama, Alaska, Albania, Algeria, Altay, Amur, Arizona, Arkansas, Austria, Azores, Baleares, Baltic States, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Bermuda, British Columbia, Bulgaria, Buryatiya, California, Cambodia, Canary Is., Cape Provinces, Cape Verde, Central European Rus, Chad, Chita, Colorado, Connecticut, Corse, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Delaware, Denmark, District of Columbia, East Aegean Is., East European Russia, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Finland, Florida, France, Føroyar, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Idaho, Illinois, India, Indiana, Iowa, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Irkutsk, Italy, Japan, Kamchatka, Kansas, Kazakhstan, Kentucky, Kenya, Khabarovsk, Kirgizstan, Krasnoyarsk, Kriti, Krym, KwaZulu-Natal, Labrador, Lebanon-Syria, Lesotho, Libya, Louisiana, Madeira, Magadan, Maine, Manitoba, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mexico Central, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southwest, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Morocco, Mozambique, Nebraska, Nepal, Netherlands, Nevada, New Brunswick, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Newfoundland, Nicaragua, North Carolina, North Caucasus, North Dakota, North European Russi, Northern Provinces, Northwest European R, Norway, Nova Scotia, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Pakistan, Palestine, Pennsylvania, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Primorye, Prince Edward I., Québec, Rhode I., Romania, Sakhalin, Sardegna, Saskatchewan, Sicilia, Sinai, South Carolina, South Dakota, South European Russi, Spain, Sudan, Svalbard, Sweden, Switzerland, Tadzhikistan, Tennessee, Texas, Transcaucasus, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkey-in-Europe, Turkmenistan, Tuva, Uganda, Ukraine, Utah, Uzbekistan, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Himalaya, West Siberia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Xinjiang, Yakutskiya, Yugoslavia, Zaïre

Introduced into:

Ascension, Galápagos, New South Wales, New Zealand South, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, St.Helena, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia

Lemna minor L. appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status
Feb 1, 1971 Liebenberg [868], Uganda K000499404
Zotov, V.D. [2], New Zealand 23592.000
Melville, R. 23593.000
Rodway, F.A. [1551], Australia 23594.000
Melville, R., United Kingdom 23959.000
Zotov, V.D. [3], New Zealand 24301.000
Moss, C.E. [16977], South Africa 24302.000
Weintroub, D., South Africa 24303.000
Moss, C.E. [16974], South Africa 24304.000
Melville, R. [54144], United Kingdom 24305.000
Summerhayes, V.S. [1343], United Kingdom 24306.000
Melville, R., United Kingdom 24308.000
24310.000
Leeuwenberg, A.J.M. [4994], Netherlands 27724.000
Hepper, F.N. [4226], United Kingdom 34076.000
Kenya 34355.000
Townsend, C.C. [73/376], Pakistan 34989.000
Melville, R. 36862.000
Melville, R. [2216], Australia 36867.000
Melville, R. [2245], Australia 36874.000
Wash, J. [577], Ethiopia 39179.000
Clarkson, J.R. [2632], Australia 49155.000
Chase, M.W. [11761] 72230.000
De Sloover, J.L., Rwanda Lemna rwandensis 38698.000 isotype

First published in Sp. Pl.: 970 (1753)

Accepted by

  • Bobrov, A.A. & Mochalova, O.A. (2013). Notes on aquatic vascular plants in Magadam region Botanicheskii Zhurnal. Moscow & Leningrad 98: 1287-1299.
  • Boulos, L. (2005). Flora of Egypt 4: 1-617. Al Hadara Publishing, Cairo.
  • Brundu, G. & Camarda, I. (2013). The Flora of Chad: a checklist and brief analysis PhytoKeys 23: 1-18.
  • Castroviejo, S. & al. (eds.) (2008). Flora Iberica 18: 1-420. Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Madrid.
  • Darbyshire, I., Kordofani, M., Farag, I., Candiga, R. & Pickering, H. (eds.) (2015). The Plants of Sudan and South Sudan: 1-400. Kew publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Dobignard, D. & Chatelain, C. (2010). Index synonymique de la flore d'Afrique du nord 1: 1-455. Éditions des conservatoire et jardin botaniques, Genève.
  • Dy Phon, P. (2000). Dictionnaire des plantes utilisées au Cambodge: 1-915. Chez l'auteur, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
  • Garcia-Mendoza, A.J. & Meave, J.A. (eds.) (2012). Diversidad florística de Oaxaca: de musgos a angiospermas (colecciones y listas de especies), ed. 2: 1-351. Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.
  • Govaerts, R. & Frodin, D.G. (2002). World Checklist and Bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae): 1-560. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Haigh, A. & Boyce, P.C. (2012). Flora Zambesiaca 12(1): 1-54. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Iwatsuki, K., Boufford, D.E. & Ohba, H. (2016). Flora of Japan IVb: 1-335. Kodansha Ltd., Tokyo.
  • Larson, J., Reif, B., Nelson, B.E. & Hartman, R.L. (2014). Floristic studies in North Central New Mexico, U.S.A. the Sange de Cristo mountains Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas 8: 271-303.
  • Mansor, M., Boyce, P.C., Othman, A.S. & Sulaiman, B. (2012). The Araceae of peninsular Malaysia: 1-146. Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia.
  • Mostaph, M.K. & Uddin, S.B. (2013). Dictionary of plant names of Bangladesh, Vasc. Pl.: 1-434. Janokalyan Prokashani, Chittagong, Bangladesh.
  • Nelson Sutherland, C.H. (2008). Catálogo de las plantes vasculares de Honduras. Espermatofitas: 1-1576. SERNA/Guaymuras, Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
  • Packer, J.G. & Gould, J. (2007). Vascular Plants of alberta 1: 1-281. University of Calgary Press.
  • Takhtajan, A.L. (ed.) (2006). Konspekt Flora Kavkaza 2: 1-466. Editio Universitatis Petropolitanae.
  • Wu, Z. & Raven, P.H. (eds.) (2010). Flora of China 23: 1-515. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.

Literature

CATE Araceae

  • Landolt, E. 1986. The family of Lemnaceae - a monographic study, 1. Veröff. Geobot. Isnt. ETH (Stift. Rübel). 71: 1-563

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Bobrov, A.A. & Mochalova, O.A. (2013). Notes on aquatic vascular plants in Magadam region Botanicheskii Zhurnal. Moscow & Leningrad 98: 1287-1299.
  • Boulos, L. (2005). Flora of Egypt 4: 1-617. Al Hadara Publishing, Cairo.
  • Brown, L.C. (1982). The Flora and Fauna of St Helena: 1-88. Land Resources Development Centre, Surbiton, England.
  • Chou, S., Chhnang, P. & Kim, Y. (2016). A Checklist for the Seed Plants of Cambodia: 1-272. National Institute of Biological Resources, Korea.
  • Darbyshire, I., Kordofani, M., Farag, I., Candiga, R. & Pickering, H. (eds.) (2015). The Plants of Sudan and South Sudan: 1-400. Kew publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Dobignard, D. & Chatelain, C. (2010). Index synonymique de la flore d'Afrique du nord 1: 1-455. Éditions des conservatoire et jardin botaniques, Genève.
  • Garcia-Mendoza, A.J. & Meave, J.A. (eds.) (2012). Diversidad florística de Oaxaca: de musgos a angiospermas (colecciones y listas de especies), ed. 2: 1-351. Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.
  • Haigh, A. & Boyce, P.C. (2012). Flora Zambesiaca 12(1): 1-54. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Iwatsuki, K., Boufford, D.E. & Ohba, H. (2016). Flora of Japan IVb: 1-335. Kodansha Ltd., Tokyo.
  • Jaramillo Díaz, P. & Guézou, A. (2017). CDF Checklist of Galapagos Vascular Plants - FCD Lista de especies de Plantas Vasculares de Galápagos http://www.darwinfoundation.org/datazone/checklists/vascular-plants/.
  • Kumar, S. (2012). Herbaceous flora of Jaunsar-Bawar (Uttarkhand), India: enumerations Phytotaxonomy 12: 33-56.
  • Mostaph, M.K. & Uddin, S.B. (2013). Dictionary of plant names of Bangladesh, Vasc. Pl.: 1-434. Janokalyan Prokashani, Chittagong, Bangladesh.
  • Packer, J.E. (1974). Ascension Handbook. A concise guide to Ascension Island South Atlantic ed. 2 Packer, Georgetown.
  • Quézel, P. (1958). Mission Botanique au Tibesti: 1-357. Université d'Alger.
  • Wu, Z. & Raven, P.H. (eds.) (2010). Flora of China 23: 1-515. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • Daubs, Monogr. Lemnac.: 21, t. 7 (1965).
  • Engl. in A. Engler & K. Prantl, Die Natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien 2, 3: 164, 154, fig. 101/B, 107/A, B, 108–9/A (1889).
  • Engl. in Die Pflanzenwelt Ost-Afrikas und der Nachbargebiete, Theile C: 133(1895).
  • Hegelm., Lemnac. Monogr.: 142, t. 9–10 (1868).
  • L., Sp. Pl.: 970 (1753).
  • N.E. Br. in Flora of Tropical Africa 8: 202(1901).

Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

  • Diazgranados et al. (2021). Catalogue of plants of Colombia. Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia project. In prep.
  • Diazgranados, M., Allkin, B., Black N., Cámara-Leret, R., Canteiro C., Carretero J., Eastwood R., Hargreaves S., Hudson A., Milliken W., Nesbitt, M., Ondo, I., Patmore, K., Pironon, S., Turner, R., Ulian, T. (2020). World Checklist of Useful Plant Species. Produced by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity.
  • GBIF.org (2021). GBIF species matching tool. https://www.gbif.org/tools/species-lookup
  • GRIN (2021). Germplasm Resources Information Network from the United States Department of Agriculture. https://www.ars-grin.gov/
  • IUCN (2021). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2021-2. https://www.iucnredlist.org.
  • Jansen, P., Lemmens, R., Oyen, L., Siemonsma, J., Stavast, F. & Van Valkenburg, J. (1991) Plant Resources of South-East Asia. Basic list of species and commodity grouping. Final version. Pudoc, Wageningen.
  • Medicinal Plant Names Services (MPNS) v.10 (2021); http://mpns.kew.org/
  • Willis, K.J. (ed.) (2017). State of the World’s Plants 2017. Report. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

  • CATE Araceae

    Haigh, A., Clark, B., Reynolds, L., Mayo, S.J., Croat, T.B., Lay, L., Boyce, P.C., Mora, M., Bogner, J., Sellaro, M., Wong, S.Y., Kostelac, C., Grayum, M.H., Keating, R.C., Ruckert, G., Naylor, M.F. and Hay, A., CATE Araceae, 17 Dec 2011.
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    Flora of Tropical East Africa
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0