Gibbous Duckweed, Swollen duckweed, Windbags, Duckweed
Lemna gibba
Family: Lemnaceae
What it is like
Form: Spreading or horizontal, Variable spread.
Lemna gibba is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.2 m (0ft 8in) at a fast rate.The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant). Suitable pH: neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It can grow in water.
Height (m): 0.2
Where it is found
Still waters in Britain. Eutrophic, quiet waters in temperate regions with mild winters.
Temperate areas in Europe, including Britain, to the Himalayas, Africa, S. and N. America.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 3
Leaves - raw or cooked. The leaves are cultivated in Israel foe use as a salad or vegetable.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Container. Requires a sunny position in still water that is rich in nitrates and lime. Duckweed can be a troublesome pond weed though it is easily controlled by simply scooping it out. This scooped out material makes an excellent addition to the compost heap. The growing plant is a good food source for fish and birds, as well as providing cover for creatures in the pond. Although it is towards the limit of its climatic range in Britain, it often flowers here if growing in a sheltered sunny position. It over-winters in temperate areas by means of resting buds which sink to the bottom of the pond in the late autumn and rise again in the spring. Special Features: Attracts birds, North American native, Edible, Invasive, Naturalizing, Inconspicuous flowers or blooms.
Propagating it: Seed - we have no information on this species but, since it spreads so rapidly by division, it really needs no extra help once it is in a pond.
Best place to grow: Pond;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 4-11
Growth: Fast
Soil:
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Water