DUCKWEED 149 



The flower, which is rare, is enclosed in a membranous spathe, and 

 is formed in a marginal depression in the frond. There are 2 stamens 

 altogether, each a male flower, with slender anther-stalks, and they 

 develop in succession. The style is long, the anthers didymous. The 

 flowers are reduced to a spathe-like bract, the stamens and pistil in 

 separate flowers. 



The plant floats on the surface, being an aquatic. Flowers may be 

 sought in June and July. It is a herbaceous annual, and propagated 

 by offsets, or divisions of the frond. 



When it flowers several Ijloom at once. The flowers are uni- 

 sexual and moniecious. They are borne in grooves at the margin 

 of the frond -like stems, with 2 male flowers with i stamen each, 

 only developed in succession, and i female flower of i carpel. 

 The anther-stalks are slender, the style is long. The anthers 

 are 2 -celled antl open transversely antl m pairs, with prickK' 

 pollen. The [)lant is adapted to j)olh"nati(>n by water- insects, but 

 flowers are rare. The stigma is mature first, but the anthers soon 

 open. 



The seeds are dispersed by water, sinking to the bottom in autumn, 

 and remaining during th.e winter when germinating, to rise in spring, 

 and grow in summer. Lesser Duckweed is aquatic. 



Two fungi infest it: Reessia aiuceboidca, which is rare, and Otpidijiiu 

 lemna-. A beetle. Donacia Icmnce, the small China Mask {Catoclvsla 

 lemnatd), a Heteropterous insect, Hcbriis pitsillus, and a tl)-, Hydir/Zia 

 albilabris, are found on it. 



Lemiia, Theophrastus, is the Greek name for Duckweed, and minor 

 refers to its small-sized frond. 



Lesser Duckweed is called Creed, Dig-meat, Duck-Meat, Duck- 

 pond Weed, Duckweed, Duke's INIeat, Endmete, Greeds, Greens, 

 Groves, Grozens, Jenny Green-teeth, W'ater Lentils, Mardling Swim- 

 ming Herb, Toadsjiit. Jenny Green-teeth was also the name of a 

 well-known Lancashire boggart who was supposed to haimt pits and 

 pools, and from whom it has probably been transferred to the plant. 

 It is called "in Latin Lois pahistris or lanis/ris, in Shoppes Lenticula 

 aqiue, in English Water Lentils, in High Douch Lue Sen, in base 

 Almaigne Water Sinieen ". 



It is valuable as food for waterfowl, and for acjuaria, aerating the 

 water.' 



' The arrangement of the chlorophyll granules is interesting. In darkness they are ranged along the 

 .side and inner walls of the cells, in direct sunlight they lie along the lateral walls, where they are less 

 exposed to intense light, whilst wlicn the light is diffused they lie along the sides and the inner walls. 



