The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

lenticulare turionifère, red duckweed, turion duckweed

lenticule très petite, minute duckweed

Roots

shorter than 15 cm, tip mostly rounded;

sheath not winged.

to 3.5 cm, tip usually sharp pointed;

sheath narrowly winged at base (wing 2–3 times as long as wide).

Flowers

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

ovaries 1-ovulate, utricular scale open on 1 side.

Fruits

0.5–0.6 mm, not winged.

0.7–1 mm, not winged.

Seeds

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

with 35–70 indistinct ribs, staying within fruit wall after ripening.

Stipes

white, small, often decaying.

white, small, often decaying.

Fronds

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.

floating, 1 or 2–few, coherent in groups, ovate-obovate, flat, 1–4 mm, 1–1.7 times as long as wide, margins entire;

veins 3, greatest distance between lateral veins near or distal to middle; 1 distinct papilla near apex on upper surface, 2–3 very distinct papillae above node;

anthocyanin absent, no reddish color;

air spaces much shorter than 0.3 mm; distinct turions absent.

2n

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

= 40 (U), 42 (G).

Lemna turionifera

Lemna perpusilla

Phenology Flowering (occasional) summer. Flowering (frequent) late spring–fall.
Habitat Mesotrophic to –eutrophic, quiet waters, in continental, temperate regions Mesotrophic to eutrophic, quiet waters in temperate regions with relatively mild winters
Elevation 0–3700 m (0–12100 ft) 0–600 m (0–2000 ft)
Distribution
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]
from FNA
AR; CT; DC; DE; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; MA; MD; ME; MN; MO; NC; NE; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; TN; TX; VA; VT; WI; WV; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.)

I know of no specimens of Lemna perpusilla from Connecticut or New Hampshire.

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

Source FNA vol. 22, p. 148. FNA vol. 22, p. 149.
Parent taxa Lemnaceae > Lemna Lemnaceae > Lemna
Sibling taxa
L. aequinoctialis, L. gibba, L. minor, L. minuta, L. obscura, L. perpusilla, L. trisulca, L. valdiviana
L. aequinoctialis, L. gibba, L. minor, L. minuta, L. obscura, L. trisulca, L. turionifera, L. valdiviana
Name authority Landolt: Aquatic Botany 1: 355, fig. 4g–h. (1975) Torrey: Fl. New York 2: 245. (1843)
Web links