Lemna minima Chevall. ex Schleid.
Lemna minor L.
Common duckweed
Common duckweed is native to Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America. Lemna means “water-plant” and “minor” means “lesser”—lesser because there is a similar-appearing plant in a different genus and with larger leaves, greater duckweed. Fish and birds benefit from its relatively high fat and protein levels: “duckweed” is named for ducks’ preference for this food.
Plants: Duckweed forms a nearly continuous mat of tiny green leaves just below the surface of freshwater ponds and slow-moving streams. The leaves are so small that colonies resemble algae or “pond scum” from a distance.
Leaves: Each leaf is oval, 1/32–¼ ⨉ 1/32–⅛″ (1–8 ⨉ 0.6–5 mm), equipped with tiny air sacs for flotation.
Flowers: Rare and nearly invisible at about 1/32″ (1 mm) in diameter, with a cup-shaped membranous scale containing a single ovule and two stamens.
Fruits: Seeds are 1/32″ (1 mm) long, with 8-15 ribs.
Habitats: Freshwater ponds and streams.
Online References:
Lemna cyclostasa Elliott ex Schleid.
Lemna minima Chevall. ex Schleid.
Lemna minima Chevall. ex Schleid.
4/7/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Massachusetts 
5/12/2025 · Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, Maine 
9/4/2018 · J. Harry Rich Forest, Groton, Massachusetts 
6/12/2023 · Viles Arboretum, Augusta, Maine 
6/27/2026 · Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, Maine · ≈ 10 × 7″ (25 × 17 cm) 
8/13/2010 · ≈ 17 × 12″ (44 × 29 cm) 
8/30/2010 · Old RR bed near Wilkins Farm, Pepperell, Massachusetts 
8/30/2010 · Old RR bed near Wilkins Farm, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 17 × 12″ (44 × 29 cm) 
5/28/2025 · Thorne Head Preserve, Bath, Maine · ≈ 10 × 6″ (24 × 16 cm) 
6/22/2017 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts · ≈ 10 × 6″ (24 × 16 cm) 
7/23/2010 · Nashua River Boat Ramp on Rte 119, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 8 × 12″ (20 × 31 cm) 
ID is uncertain 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Liliopsida | Monocots (plants with a single seed leaf); includes the lily family |
| Subclass | Alismatidae | Aquatic and marshy plants |
| Order | Alismatales | Herbaceous flowering plants found in marshy habitats |
| Family | Araceae | Arum family, with plants whose flower is enclosed in a spathe |
| Genus | Lemna | From Greek limnos, “lake or swamp” |
| Species | minor | “Smaller or lesser” |
Lemna minor description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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