Wayne Armstrong's On-line Description of Lemna turionifera (Lemnaceae)

	Home		Keys To Genera		List Of Species		Search		Lemna		Spirodela		Wolffia		Wolffiella		Wayne's Word

Lemna turionifera

E. Landolt

Turion Duckweed

Aquatic Botany 1: 355; 1975.

Description:

Roots: One root.

Shape of Plant Body: Flattened, suborbicular to elliptic-obovate in outline, generally symmetrical; dorsal surface shiny dark green with row of minute papules along the midline.

Size: 2-4 mm long.

Veins: 3 veins (visible with backlighting).

Budding Pouch Position: 2 lateral pouches on either side of basal end.

Flower (Fruit) Position: Within membranous, saclike spathe (open only at top) inside budding pouches.

Arrangement of Clonal Clusters: Solitary or several (3-5) connected; producing small, rootless (or short-rooted), dark green or brownish daughter plants (turions) during the fall; the dense, starch-filled turions settle to the bottom and overwinter.

Habitat: Cold freshwater streams, ponds and marshes.

Range: Common throughout mountains and valleys of the Pacific Northwest, from sea level to 2500 m; widely distributed throughout the United States and Canada, and with isolated distribution in Russia in Asia.

Other Information:

The formation of dark green or brownish, starch-filled turions separates this sp. from all other Lemna spp. in North America; it is probably more widespread than the closely-related L. minor L.; it can be separated from L. minor by its turions, a pronounced dorsal midline row of papules, blotches of reddish anthocyanin that develop on the ventral side (especially near root base), and generally by a darker green dorsal surface; it can usually be separated from nongibbous forms of L. gibba L. by its turions, more symmetrical plant body (particularly at apex) and wingless utricles.

Selected Images:

Return To The Lemnaceae Home Page
Go To Keys To The Genera Of Lemnaceae
Go To The List Of Species Of Lemnaceae
Go To The List Of .GIF Images Of Lemnaceae
Go To The WAYNE'S WORD Home Page