The Lemnaceae
are a small family of tiny free-floating aquatic herbs that often
mass together to form a carpet-like cover on still water bodies. The
lack true leaves, and are reduced to a photosynthetic thallus that
often lacks roots. The flowers are miniscule, and reduced to simple
ovaries or stamens. Tasmania has three native species in two
genera of Lemnaceae, Wollfia (the smallest of all flowering
plants) and Lemna.
A species of a third genus (Landoltia punctata) is rarely
naturalised, and is not included in this key. |