Lemna gibba L.

Spice In the field

Family: LEMNACEAE

Genus: Lemna

Catalan common name: Llenties d'aigua.

Spanish common name: Lentejas de agua.

Province distribution: Alacant. Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Castelló. Girona. Lleida. Tarragona. València.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca. Ibiza.

General distribution (Phytogeography): Cosmopolitan and subcosmopolitan

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Hydrophyte.

Habitats: Non-saline wetlands (intermittent watercourses, streams, artesian wells, ditches). Non-saline wetlands.

Characteristics: A small aquatic plant, unmistakeable for the lentil shaped floating leaves and for the long root dangling in the water. Can be confused with L. minor, the later is smaller and flatter on both sides of the leaf, while L. gibba is very convex on the leaf reverse (the submerged part).

Observations: Rarely flowers and normally reproduces vegetatively.