Lemna minuta

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Monocots
Ordo: Alismatales

Familia: Araceae
Subfamilia: Lemnoideae
Genus: Lemna
Species: Lemna minuta
Name

Lemna minuta Kunth, 1816
Synonyms

Homotypic
Lemna minuscula Herter, Revista Sudamer. Bot. 9: 185 (1954), nom. superfl.
Heterotypic
Lemna valdiviana var. minima Hegelm., Lemnac.: 138 (1868).
Lemna valdiviana var. abbreviata Hegelm. in C.F.P.von Martius & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Bras. 3(2): 19 (1878).
Lemna abbreviata (Hegelm.) Hegelm., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 21: 298 (1895).
Lemna minima (Hegelm.) Phil. ex Hegelm., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 21: 299 (1895), nom. illeg.

Homonyms

Lemna minuta Raf., nom. nud. = Lemna valdiviana Phil.

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental: America
Alabama; Argentina Northeast; Argentina Northwest; Argentina South; Arizona; Arkansas; Bolivia; Brazil Northeast; Brazil South; Brazil Southeast; Brazil West-Central; California; Chile Central; Chile North; Colombia; Colorado; Ecuador; Florida; Georgia; Guatemala; Illinois; Indiana; Jamaica; Kansas; Leeward Is.; Louisiana; Mexico Central; Mexico Northeast; Mexico Northwest; Mexico Southwest; Missouri; Nebraska; Nevada; New Mexico; Oklahoma; Oregon; Paraguay; Peru; Puerto Rico; Texas; Uruguay; Utah; Venezuela; Virginia

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References

Kunth, C.S. in F. W. H. A. von Humboldt et al. 1816, Nov. Gen. Sp. 1:298[folio]; 1:372[quarto].

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2018. Lemna minuta in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2018 Nov. 10. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2018. Lemna minuta. Published online. Accessed: Nov. 10 2018.
The Plant List 2013. Lemna minuta in The Plant List Version 1.1. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2018 Nov. 10.
Tropicos.org 2018. Lemna minuta. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2018 Nov. 10.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Lemna minuta in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 08-Apr-12.

Vernacular names
English: least duckweed

Lemna minuta is a species of duckweed known by the common name least duckweed.[1][2] It is the smallest Lemna species.[3] It is native to parts of the Americas, and naturalized in others; the exact native range is not known. It is found on other continents as a non-native introduction as well. The plant's distribution is ever-expanding; it has been spreading in Europe and it was described from Poland for the first time in 2007.[4] In many areas it is a noxious weed, such as in Belgium.[5]

This tiny plant varies in shape depending on growth conditions. In the shade it is a single green translucent oval body no more than 2.5 millimeters long, and in full sunlight it generally grows in pairs. There is a central vein usually visible under magnification and microscopy. The plant produces an ephemeral membrane-bound flower.

This duckweed grows in slow-moving, calm, and stagnant freshwater habitats. It affects the ecology of its habitat by forming mats on the water surface, reducing sunlight penetration and oxygen exchange.[5]
References

BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
"Lemna minuta". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
Flora of Northern Ireland
Banaszek, A. and K. Musiał. (2009). The new kenophyte in Poland - Lemna minuta Humb., Bonpl., & Kunth Archived 2011-10-04 at the Wayback Machine. Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae 78:1 69-72
Invasive Alien Species in Belgium: Lemna minuta