Everything about Duckweed totally explained
Lemnaceae is a family of
flowering plants, also known as the
duckweed family, as it contains the duckweeds or water lentils. The duckweeds are now known to be a branch of the arum or aroid family (
Araceae), so the name 'Lemnaceae' is rapidly falling out of use among botanists.
These plants are very simple, lacking an obvious stem or leaves, but consist of a small 'thalloid' or plate-like structure that floats on or just under the water surface, with or without simple rootlets. The plants have become highly reduced from their relatives in
Araceae. Reproduction is mostly by budding, but occasionally a
flower consisting of two stamens and a pistil is produced (some view the 'flower' as a
pseudanthium, or reduced
inflorescence, with three unisexual flowers, derived from the
spadix in
Araceae). The
fruit is a
utricle, a sac containing air and a seed designed to float. The flower of the
Wolffia currently holds the record for being the smallest flower in world; measuring in at a size of 0.3 mm long.
Duckweed is an important food source for
waterfowl and are eaten by humans in some parts of
Southeast Asia (as
khai-nam). Some duckweeds are used in freshwater
aquariums and ponds where they may spread rapidly, although in a large pond they may be difficult to eradicate once established. The plants can provide
nitrate removal (if cropped) and cover for fry. The plants are used as shelter by pond water species, such as
bullfrogs and
bluegills. The duckweeds are important in the process of
bioremediation because they grow rapidly, absorbing excess mineral nutrients, particularly
nitrogen and
phosphates. A cover of duckweeds will reduce
evaporation of water compared to a clear surface.
Taxonomy
Classification of the duckweeds in the family Lemnaceae is recognized by most
systems of plant classification. It isn't recognized by the
APG II system, which places the duckweeds in the aroid family the
Araceae as subfamily Lemnoideae.
The genera of duckweeds are:
Spirodela,
Landoltia,
Lemna,
Wolffiella, and
Wolffia.
Image:LentejasDeAgua.jpg|Common duckweed in Galicia, Spain
Image:Lemna minor1.jpg|Lemna minor
Image:Lemna trisulca0.jpg|Lemna trisulca
Image:L gibba3.jpg|Lemna gibba.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Duckweed'.
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