# Common Duckweed (*Lemna minor*) Common Duckweed is a tiny plant that floats on water. It looks like little green dots and is often found in ponds and lakes, making it a fun plant to spot while exploring nature! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 2 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Common Duckweed](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Eendekroos_dicht_bijeen.JPG&width=800) Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eendekroos_dicht_bijeen.JPG) ## Appearance The Common Duckweed is a tiny, bright green, oval-shaped plant that floats on water surfaces. It has one small root hair hanging underneath each frond, distinguishing it from slightly larger, similar-looking water plants. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Liliopsida - **Order:** Alismatales - **Family:** Araceae - **Genus:** Lemna ## Interesting facts - Each tiny duckweed plant has only one root, which is usually no bigger than a single hair! - It can double its population in just a few days, making it super fast-growing. - Scientists are studying duckweed as a potential future food source for humans and animals. - The Common Duckweed is one of the smallest flowering plants on Earth! ## Special abilities - **Rapid Reproducer:** Common Duckweed can quickly multiply by budding, allowing it to cover water surfaces very fast. - **Water Cleaner:** This plant can absorb excess nutrients and pollutants from water, helping to clean its environment. - **Winter Survivor:** Common Duckweed forms special dense buds called turions that sink to the bottom to survive winter's cold. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 0.1-0.2 cm - **Spread:** 0.2-0.5 cm - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** Mallard (*Anas platyrhynchos*) — Mallards and other ducks readily feed on floating duckweed. - **Eaten by:** [Common Carp](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-carp) (*Cyprinus carpio*) — Carp graze on duckweed, especially in still, nutrient-rich waters. - **Eaten by:** Great Pond Snail (*Lymnaea stagnalis*) — Snails commonly feed on duckweed as a primary food source. ## Traits - [Nitrogen Fixing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nitrogen-fixing): Describes organisms capable of converting atmospheric nitrogen into compounds usable by plants. - [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period. - [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Freshwater](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/freshwater): Freshwater habitats include non-saline aquatic environments such as rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands, vital for numerous species. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always stay close to an adult when exploring ponds and lakes. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Common Duckweed? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Common Duckweed? 0.1-0.2 cm ### How wide does Common Duckweed spread? 0.2-0.5 cm ### Is Common Duckweed edible? Yes ### Is Common Duckweed toxic? None ### What is Common Duckweed's lifecycle? Perennial ### Where is Common Duckweed usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Shepherdstown Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/shepherdstown-historic-district) — West Virginia, US · Historic District - [Scales Mound Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/scales-mound-historic-district) — Illinois, US · Historic District - [Overbrook Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/overbrook-park) — Florida, US · Park [View all places to see Common Duckweed](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/common-duckweed) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Common Duckweed: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-duckweed)