Name:
Lemna spp. Eastern North American Aquatic Vegetation
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This aquatic association of floating vegetation is known to occur throughout temperate eastern North America. <i>Lemna</i> spp. typically dominate but may be mixed with other plant taxa floating on the water surface. <i>Lemna</i>-dominated aquatic vegetation occupies wetlands that are permanently, semipermanently or seasonally flooded. These small plants may float on the water's surface or become stranded and possibly rooted during drawdown periods. Water chemistry is fresh. The standing water habitat is relatively shallow, generally less than 2-4 m (6.6-13.1 feet) and occurs as ponds, lakes, ditches, stock ponds, and backwater sloughs of river and stream channels. Standing water for much or most of the growing season is characteristic. Depth of the water is of no consequence to floating plants; they occur where the wind pushes them. The composition of examples varies across this wide distributional range. <i>Lemna</i> taxa that may be present in eastern North America include <i>Lemna aequinoctialis</i> (southwest U.S. as well as southeast U.S.), <i>Lemna minor</i> (widespread across temperate North America), <i>Lemna minuta</i> (widespread across southern U.S.), <i>Lemna obscura</i> (eastern-southeastern U.S.), <i>Lemna perpusilla</i> (eastern U.S.), <i>Lemna trisulca</i> (widespread temperate and boreal, but not southeast U.S.), <i>Lemna turionifera</i> (widespread temperate and boreal, but not southeast U.S.), and <i>Lemna valdiviana</i> (southeast U.S., and spotty in the southwest U.S.). Other species present may include <i>Spirodela polyrrhiza</i> (widespread temperate U.S.), <i>Landoltia punctata</i> (southeastern U.S.), <i>Azolla microphylla, Azolla filiculoides, Wolffiella lingulata</i> (rare), <i>Wolffiella oblonga</i> (extreme southwest and southeast U.S.), <i>Wolffiella gladiata</i> (southeast coastal plain), <i>Wolffia brasiliensis</i> (eastern temperate U.S.), <i>Wolffia borealis</i> (west coast temperate and eastern temperate U.S., but not coastal plain), <i>Wolffia globosa</i> (eastern temperate U.S.), and <i>Wolffia columbiana</i> (eastern temperate U.S.), as well as <i>Riccia</i> spp. (aquatic liverworts). Associated rooted floating aquatics include <i>Potamogeton</i> spp., <i>Sagittaria</i> spp., or <i>Polygonum</i> spp. may also be present s. While these latter species are rooted submerged species, and technically not part of the strictly floating community, they do intermingle. Biomass can be abundant under eutrophic conditions.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:34210-{3A126107-D9DC-47D3-9C2B-2CC85412B6B0}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
1
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