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Common Name: Least Duckweed

General Information

Wolffia arrhiza is a Evergreen Perennial up to 0.01 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

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Range

Europe, including Britain, to Asia.

Habitat

Floating on quiet waters[]. A rare native of southern Britain, growing in still waters[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Evergreen Perennial
Height	0.01 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A pond plant, floating on the surface of the water, it requires a sunny position in still water that is rich in nitrates and lime[].
At the limit of its climatic range in Britain and probably best grown in a cold water aquarium[]. It over-winters in temperate areas by means of resting buds which sink to the bottom of the pond in the late autumn and rise again in the spring[].
One of the smallest flowering plants in the world, it is cultivated as a vegetable in Burma, Laos and Thailand[]. It has been recommended for commercial cultivation, especially in tropical areas, because of its rapid multiplication and high nutritional value[]. Plant densities of over two million plants per square metre have been found[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - cooked. An excellent flavour, they taste somewhat like a sweet cabbage[]. The leaves are very nutritious, containing about 20% protein, 44% carbohydrate. 5% fat and are rich in vitamins A, B2, B6, C and nicotinic acid[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - we have no information on this species but, since it can spread rapidly by division, it really needs no extra help once it is in a pond.