Plant: Small aquatic plant Leaves: FRONDS floating on the surface of the water, single or 2 to a few cohering in small groups, ovate, 1-6 mm long, 1-3 times as long as wide, flat, without a green stalk but with a very small white stipe that often decays; margins entire; nerves 3, the greatest distance between the laterals near the middle, papillae near the apex and above the attachment point of the root mostly very distinct; anthocyanin absent; air spaces much smaller than 0.3 mmroot mostly very distinct; anthocyanin absent; air spaces much smaller than 0.3 mm root up to 3 cm long; sheath winged at the base, the tip normally sharply pointed; no distinct turions present Flowers: frequent, l-ovulate, the small utricular scale open on one side Fruit: with dry pericarp,0.5-0.8 mm long, not winged; SEEDS: with 8-26 distinct ribs Misc: -Mesotrophic (with moderate amounts of nutrients) to eutrophic (with high amounts of nutrients), quiet waters; below 1200 m (4000 ft); May-Oct Notes: root up to 3 cm long REFERENCES: Landolt, Elias. 1992. Lemnaceae. Ariz.-Nev. Acad. Sci. 26(1)2.