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Electronic Flora of South Australia
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Electronic Flora of South Australia genus Fact Sheet

Family: Araceae
Wolffia

Citation: Horkel ex Schleid., Linnaea 13:389 (1839).

Derivation: After J. F. Wolff, 1778-1806, a German physician and botanist.

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: Tiny duckweeds.

Description:
Thallus turgid, more or less ellipsoid or globose, floating at the surface; most of the thallus submerged; lateral pocket 1; roots 0.

Inflorescence breaking through the upper surface of the thallus, composed of 1 female and 1 male flower together in a hollow but without a spathe; male flower consisting of a single stamen with a terminal 1-celled anther; female flower composed of a flask-shaped ovary with 1-several ovules and a solitary terminal style and a concave stigma.

Distribution:  About 10 species, almost cosmopolitan.

Biology: No text

Key to Species:
1. Emerged face of the thallus flat; thallus depth about equal to the length of the emerged face
W. angustata 1.
1. Emerged face of the thallus distinctly convex; thallus depth to twice the length of the emerged face
W. australiana 2.

Author: Not yet available


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