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ivy duckweed, ivy-leaf duckweed, lenticule trisulquée, star duckweed

lenticulare turionifère, red duckweed, turion duckweed

Roots

to 2.5 cm (sometimes not developed), tip pointed;

sheath not winged.

shorter than 15 cm, tip mostly rounded;

sheath not winged.

Flowers

ovaries 1-ovulate, utricular scale with narrow opening at apex.

ovaries 1-ovulate, utricular scale with narrow opening at apex.

Fruits

0.6–0.9 mm, laterally winged toward apex.

0.5–0.6 mm, not winged.

Seeds

with 12–18 distinct ribs, staying within fruit wall after ripening.

with 30–60 indistinct ribs, staying within fruit wall after ripening.

Green

stalks 2–20 mm.

Fronds

submersed (except when flowering or fruiting), 3–50, coherent and very often forming branched chains, narrowly ovate, flat, thin, 3–15 mm (excluding stalk), 2–3.5 times as long as wide, base suddenly narrowed into green stalk, margins denticulate distally;

veins (1 or) 3, lateral veins only in proximal part of frond;

papillae absent;

anthocyanin often present;

air spaces shorter than 0.3 mm;

turions absent.

floating, 1 or 2–few, coherent in groups, obovate, scarcely gibbous, flat, 1–4 mm, 1–1.5 times as long as wide, margins entire;

veins 3, greatest distance between lateral veins near or distal to above middle;

papillae distinct on midline of upper surface (apical papilla scarcely larger than others);

lower surface often red (more intensely so than on upper), coloring beginning at attachment point of root, upper surface (especially near apex) sometimes with red spots;

air spaces to 0.3 mm;

turions sometimes present, rootless, olive to brown, 0.8–1.6 mm diam., sinking to bottom.

Stipes

white, small, often decaying.

2n

= 40, 42, 44, 60, 63, 80.

= 40, 42 (G), 50, 80.

Lemna trisulca

Lemna turionifera

Phenology Flowering (rare) late spring–summer. Flowering (occasional) summer.
Habitat Mesotrophic, quiet waters rich in calcium, in cool-temperate regions Mesotrophic to –eutrophic, quiet waters, in continental, temperate regions
Elevation 0–3000 m (0–9800 ft) 0–3700 m (0–12100 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; AR; AZ; CA; CO; CT; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MT; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; SD; TN; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NS; NT; NU; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; nearly worldwide; except arctic and antarctic regions and South America; in warm regions only in mountains
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; AL; AZ; CA; CO; CT; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; MA; MI; MN; MO; MT; ND; NE; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SD; TX; UT; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NL; NS; NT; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; SPM; Mexico (Baja California); Eurasia
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The report of Lemna trisulca in Florida is dubious because the climate is too warm. The species may be temporarily introduced there by birds.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

I know of no specimens of Lemna turionifera from Maine, New HampshireSt. Pierre and Miquelon, or from New Jersey, but the species is to be expected there..

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 22, p. 148. FNA vol. 22, p. 148.
Parent taxa Lemnaceae > Lemna Lemnaceae > Lemna
Sibling taxa
L. aequinoctialis, L. gibba, L. minor, L. minuta, L. obscura, L. perpusilla, L. turionifera, L. valdiviana
L. aequinoctialis, L. gibba, L. minor, L. minuta, L. obscura, L. perpusilla, L. trisulca, L. valdiviana
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 970. (1753) Landolt: Aquatic Botany 1: 355, fig. 4g–h. (1975)
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