Giant duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza) is a small aquatic plant that belongs to the family Lemnoideae. It is a free-floating aquatic plant found in still or slow-moving bodies of water around the world. Giant duckweed has tiny, flat leaves that are connected together in threes, giving it a triangular shape. The leaves are bright green, and each leaf measures about 2–4 mm in length. This plant has a single root, called a rhizoid, which anchors it to the substrate. Giant duckweed reproduces asexually when the leaves break off and drift away to other bodies of water, allowing it to spread rapidly. It can also reproduce sexually, through the production of flowers and seeds. This plant is a popular food source for waterfowl, and it is also used in wastewater treatment systems to filter out pollutants.
