Star Duckweed (Lemna trisulca)

Taxonomy and growth

Family: Lemnaceae
Genus: Lemna
Life cycle: perennial
Height: 0.01 m
Flower type: monoecious

Uses

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

A poultice of the wetted plant, combined with another plant, has been used in the treatment of swellings^[3].

Environment

Range: Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to N. Africa, Asia, N. America, Australia
Habitat: Ponds and ditches in all parts of Britain except north Devon and east Cornwall^[1].
Light: full sun
Shade tolerance: no shade
Water: aquatic
Hardiness: Zone 4+
Soil pH: neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil: No
Drought: intolerant

Propagation

Seed - we have no information on this species but, since it spreads so rapidly by division, it really needs no extra help once it is in a pond.

Cultivation

Requires a sunny position in still water that is rich in nitrates and lime^[2]. Duckweed can be a troublesome pond weed though it is easily controlled by simply scooping it out^[4]^[2]. This scooped out material makes an excellent addition to the compost heap. The growing plant is a good food source for fish and birds, as well as providing cover for creatures in the pond^[2]. This species is very suitable for use in cold water aquaria though, like all members of the genus, it can harbour fish parasites^[2]. The plant over-winters in temperate areas by means of resting buds which sink to the bottom of the pond in the late autumn and rise again in the spring^[2].

Lemna minorDuckweed
Spirodela polyrrhizaGreat Duckweed
Wolffia arrhizaLeast Duckweed

References

Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00
↩
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
↩1 ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5
Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
↩
Muhlberg. H. Complete Guide to Water Plants. E. P. Publishing Ltd. 1982-00-00 ISBN 0-7158-0789-7
↩