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Issue: Vol. 708 No. 1: 2 Jul. 2025
Type: Article
Published: 2025-07-02
DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.708.1.3
Page range: 23-42
Abstract views: 402
PDF downloaded: 13

Comprehensive summary of duckweeds in Sri Lanka

Department of Horticulture & Landscape Gardening, Faculty of Agriculture & Plantation Management, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka
Department of Horticulture & Landscape Gardening, Faculty of Agriculture & Plantation Management, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka
Department of Botany, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
Department of Biology, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Whitewater, Wisconsin, USA
Conservation Landoltia Lemna Spirodela Wolffia Monocots

Abstract

Duckweeds (Lemnaceae) are a family of floating aquatic plants that include the smallest angiosperms in the world. In
Sri Lanka, there have been inconsistent reports about which duckweed species are native, and there have been no comprehensive taxonomic surveys of Lemnaceae in the country. Following the recent discovery of non-native Landoltia plants in Sri Lanka, we undertook a comprehensive investigation using extensive sampling, followed by morphological and molecular methods to identify species and document their distributions. Ultimately, we confirmed the existence of the following species in
Sri Lanka: Spirodela polyrhiza, Landoltia punctata, Lemna aequinoctialis, and Wolffia neglecta.

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How to Cite

Ranasinghe, H., Yakandawala, K., Yakandawala, D. & Tippery, N.P. (2025) Comprehensive summary of duckweeds in Sri Lanka. Phytotaxa 708 (1): 23–42. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.708.1.3