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Tiny Duckweed Lemna perpusilla

Phonetic Spelling
LEM-nuh per-pew-SIL-ah
Description

'Tiny Duckweed' is an aquatic plant found in still or slowly moving waters of swamps, ponds or lakes. It is found mainly in the coastal plains of NC.

It is a tiny floating plant with flattened leaf-like stems (fronds) that produce one root per frond and are found singly or in groups of 3-5. They rarely flower. They are found in nutrient-rich waters.

See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#water garden#spadix#swamps#pond garden#lakes#food source fall#Coastal OBL#food source herbage#Piedmont Mountains OBL#Audubon#perennial
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#water garden#spadix#swamps#pond garden#lakes#food source fall#Coastal OBL#food source herbage#Piedmont Mountains OBL#Audubon#perennial
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Lemna
    Species:
    perpusilla
    Family:
    Araceae
    Life Cycle:
    Perennial
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    Eastern and Central USA
    Distribution:
    AL, AR, AZ, CT, DC, DE, GA, HI, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NM, NY, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Perennial
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
    Soil Drainage:
    Frequent Standing Water
    Occasionally Wet
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    Piedmont
  • Fruit:
    Display/Harvest Time:
    Fall
    Fruit Description:
    Utricle that opens on one side, 0.7 to 1 mm long and without wings. Displays from August to October
  • Flowers:
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Spadix
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Summer
    Flower Description:
    The inflorescence consists of two male flowers and 1 female flower, enclosed in a spathe like a sac. Blooms from June to September (rarely)
  • Leaves:
    Leaf Color:
    Green
    Leaf Type:
    Simple
    Leaf Shape:
    Obovate
    Ovate
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Length:
    < 1 inch
    Leaf Width:
    < 1 inch
    Leaf Description:
    Fronds are more or less convex on both sides, 1 to a few and ovate to obovate, flat, 1 to 4 mm long and 2-8 mm wide. 1 distinct papule at the node and a few distinct papules above the node.
  • Stem:
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Pond
    Landscape Theme:
    Water Garden
    Attracts:
    Songbirds