Fat duckweed
Lemna gibba
Family: Araceae
What it is like
A floating herb. It has thick spongy leaves. They are almost round and 0.8 cm across. There is one small root attached to each leaf. The fronds are bright green on top and grey underneath.
There are 13 Lemna species. Also put in the family Lemnaceae. The Lemnaceae or Duckweeds float on ponds.
Where it is found
It grows in temperate and tropical places. It needs sun. It grows in still water. In Argentina it grows between sea level and 4,000 m above sea level.
Countries/locations it is found in
Afghanistan, Africa, Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Asia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Balkans, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Britain, Bulgaria, Caucasus, Central Africa, Central America, Central Asia, Chile, Colombia, Congo, Czech, Denmark, East Africa, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Europe, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Himalayas, Hungary, India, Iran, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Mediterranean, Mexico, Middle East, Morocco, Netherlands, North Africa, North America, Norway, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Scandinavia, Slovakia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Spain - Canary Islands, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Turkey, Türkiye, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, USA, Virgin Islands (U.S.), West Indies, Yemen, Yugoslavia
How it is used for food
The leaves are used for salads or as a vegetable.
Edible parts
Leaves
How it is grown
Its other names
Local names
Gibbous duckweed, Thick duckweed