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Genus Wolffia Family Araceae
Common Name: Duckweeds

Description: Herb floating at water surface, solitary or 2 thalli remaining connected. Roots absent. Thallus symmetric, thick, ± globose, ellipsoid or ovoid, the greatest part of the thallus submerged, green; veins not visible; dorsal and ventral scale absent. Budding pouch with lateral (actually basal) slit.

Inflorescence of 1 female and 1 male flower; bract absent. Anther 1-locular.


Distribution and occurrence: World: at least 7 spp., temp. & trop. regions. Aust.: 3 spp. (1 sp. endemic), Qld, N.S.W., Vic., S.A., W.A.

Wolffia was formerly placed in Lemnaceae.

Text by B.J. Conn, Flora of New South Wales Vol. 4: 38 (1993), in Lemnaceae
Taxon concept: Australian Plant Census (accessed May 2017)

 Key to the species 
1Thallus globose to ovoid, 1–1.5 times as deep as broad, biggest breadth below the water surfaceWolffia globosa
Thallus boat-like, 2–3 times as deep as broad, biggest breadth near the water surface2
2Thallus 0.3–0.8 mm wide, length to breadth ratio 1.3–2, depth 1.3–2 times length of upper surface; upper surface uniformly green and shining, slightly convex and rounded laterally, with 50–80 stomataWolffia australiana
Thallus 0.2–0.5 mm wide, length to breadth ratio 1.6–3.5, depth 2–3 times length of upper surface; upper surface whitish green towards central part, green near 'margin', flat and sharply edged laterally, with 8–25 stomata
                       Back to 1
Wolffia angusta

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