Duckweed
$5
Water lenses, sometimes known as duckweeds, are flowering aquatic plants that float on or just below the surface of still or slowly moving freshwater bodies. They are common in wetlands. They are often referred to as "bayroot," and because they originated from the arum or aroid family (Araceae), they are frequently grouped under the subfamily Lemnoideae of the Araceae. They are categorized separately as a family called Lemnaceae in classifications made before the turn of the 20th century.
These are very basic plants without noticeable stems or leaves. Each plant is primarily composed of a thin, structured structure called a "thallus" or "frond" that is only a few cells thick and frequently contains air pockets (aerenchyma) that enable it to float on the water's surface or just below it. Each plant may have no roots or one or more simple rootlets, depending on the species.
Asexual budding, which develops from a meristem contained at the base of the frond, is the primary mode of reproduction. On rare occasions, three microscopic "flowers" made up of two stamens and a pistil are created, allowing for sexual reproduction. According to some, this "flower" is actually a pseudanthium, or reduced inflorescence, made up of three blossoms that can clearly be classified as either male or female and are descended from the spadix in the Araceae. Due to the plants' significant evolutionary distance from their ancestors, the evolution of the duckweed inflorescence is still unclear.
These are very basic plants without noticeable stems or leaves. Each plant is primarily composed of a thin, structured structure called a "thallus" or "frond" that is only a few cells thick and frequently contains air pockets (aerenchyma) that enable it to float on the water's surface or just below it. Each plant may have no roots or one or more simple rootlets, depending on the species.
Asexual budding, which develops from a meristem contained at the base of the frond, is the primary mode of reproduction. On rare occasions, three microscopic "flowers" made up of two stamens and a pistil are created, allowing for sexual reproduction. According to some, this "flower" is actually a pseudanthium, or reduced inflorescence, made up of three blossoms that can clearly be classified as either male or female and are descended from the spadix in the Araceae. Due to the plants' significant evolutionary distance from their ancestors, the evolution of the duckweed inflorescence is still unclear.