Ivy Duckweed (Lemna trisulca) Gardening
Ivy duckweed (Lemna trisulca) is a species of duckweed in the family Araceae, occuring in subtropical and temperate regions of the world. It is also known as Star duckweed. The species name trisulca is derived from Latin word trisulcus, meaning 'with three furrows, three-cleft, or three-forked'. The plant look like ivy when several leaves or thalli bud from the same growth point. Ivy duckweed provided useful shading for wildlife ponds and shelter for small fish, tadpoles and other aquatic invertebrates.
Ivy duckweed is a diminutive aquatic perennial, often forming tangled masses just under the water surface. The roots are up to 2.5 cm long, but it is often rootless. There are two types of thallus or leaf-like body. Non-flowering plants are spatula- or elongated-shaped, 6-10 mm long, tapering to a stalked base, and connected in a chains of 8-30 plants, and submersed beneath the water surface. The flowering plants are oval-shaped with a separate margin and a shorter stalk at the base, and float on the water surface. The flowers are tiny and rarely seen, and are arises from a pouch in the thallus.
Propagation is prinarily by vegetative reproduction. New plants bud from either side of the parent plant and eventually break apart.
Ivy Duckweed (Lemna trisulca)
Author: Algirdas (public domain)
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