What is Duckweed?
Duckweed is a free-floating aquatic plant which grows in both still and running freshwater, such as lakes, rivers, and streams. Contrary to what one might expect from the name, no ducks are involved in the growth habits of duckweed, although ducks undoubtedly feed on this plant when they find it growing. Depending on the circumstances, duckweed can be an extremely invasive species, or a welcomed aquatic plant. Native plant societies usually have specific information about the status of duckweed in a particular area, for people who are curious. Any plant in the genus Lemna can be considered a duckweed. Duckweeds usually have small vestigial roots, if they have roots at all, and they grow in the form of thick green carpets of rounded free-floating thalloids, flattened structures which resemble leaves. Duckweed can rapidly spread to cover a waterway, resisting all attempts to eliminate it. These plants typically reproduce by budding, although they can produce small flowers on occasion, an
Duckweed is the common name for a family of small aquatic herbs known as Lemnaceae that grows in fresh water. They have the unique distinction of being the smallest flowering plants on earth. These plants are also unique in that they do not have any stem or leaf structures. The plant is simply a fleshy ovoid or flattened structure that may or may not bear simple roots. These highly successful plants represent the ultimate in reduction for a vascular plant. Duckweed is ubiquitous to most temperate and tropical regions of the world, making it readily available to most farmers. They are typically found floating in thick mats of homogeneous populations in quiet streams or ponds containing high levels of organic matter. Another amazing feature of these plants is that they can double their mass in less than two days under ideal conditions of nutrient availability, sunlight and temperature. To put this into perspective, a small patch of duckweed could theoretically cover the entire surface of
The family of Duckweed are the smallest flowering plants. These plants grow floating in still or slow-moving fresh water around the globe, except in the coldest regions. The growth of these high-protein plants can be extremely rapid. Duckweed can grow 30 percent faster than Water Hyacinth. Duckweeds spread rapidly across quiet bodies of water that are rich in nutrients. Under ideal conditions, the area covered by Duckweed can double in a few days. This rapid growth is propelled by the unique design of the plant.
