Duckweed

Lemna aequinoctialis

General information : Duckweed is a common and well known floating small plant. The form cultured at Aquagreen came from the Liverpool River floodplain. It is sometimes used by water bird enthusiasts as a feed for ducks and pygmy geese. Rainbowfish enthusiasts with the big floodplain species such as chequered rainbowfish Melanotaenia splendida inornata often use this plant as a livefood. It is different from the closely related Spirodela, it only has one single root, where Spirodela has a cluster of roots under each leaf. The second photo is an attempt to show the under side of the plant.

Cultivation notes : It is easy to grow in a warm shady area or an aquarium with a couple of flourescent lamps as a light cource. It likes nutrients and can be used as a plant that will shade the submerged aquarium plants when trying to shade an aquarium for algae control.

Distribution : It is found throughout the warmer parts of the world. In Australia in the NT, WA & Qld. In the Northern Territory it is common in most wetlands across the top end. It is found among other emergent plants and appears to be more common in shady areas.

Selling details : Sold in lots of 25 grams, which is about the same weight as a normal bunch of aquarium plants.

Reference : Cowie, Short & Osterkamp-Madsen (2000) "Floodplain Flora, a flora of the floodplain of the Northern Territory, Australia"]