Taxon: Wolffia arrhiza (L.) Horkel ex Wimm.

Summary

Genus:

Wolffia

Section:

Wolffia

Family:

Araceae

Subfamily:

Lemnoideae

Nomen number:

403878

Place of publication:

Fl. Schles. ed. 3, 140. 1857

Verified:

12/20/1995 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

0 (0 active, 0 available) in National Plant Germplasm System.

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Basionym
Lemna arrhiza L.

Autonym(s)
Wolffia arrhiza (L.) Horkel ex Wimm. var. arrhiza

No images

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

Botanical Society of the British Isles. BSBI taxon database (on-line resource).
Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen 1819.
Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
FNA Editorial Committee. 2000. Flora of North America. 22:152. Note: introd.
Govaerts, R. & D. G. Frodin. 2002. World checklist and bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae).
Hickman, J. C., ed. 1993. The Jepson manual: higher plants of California
Holm, L. et al. 1979. A geographical atlas of world weeds
Jardin botanique national de Belgique. 1967-. Flore du Congo, du Rwanda et du Burundi (Flore d'Afrique centrale).
Landolt, E. 1986. Biosystematic investigations in the family of duckweeds (Lemnaceae). 2. The family of Lemnaceae - a monographic study. Veröff. Geobot. Inst. ETH Stiftung Rübel Zürich 71:366.
Landolt, E. 1994. Taxonomy and ecology of the section Wolffia of the genus Wolffia (Lemnaceae). Ber. Geobot. Inst. E. T. H. Stiftung Rübel 60:147-148.
Landolt, E. 1996. pers. comm. Note: re. common names
Saldanha, C. J. & D. H. Nicolson. 1976. Flora of Hassan district.
Skvortsov, A. K., ed. 2006. Flora of the Lower Volga region 1:316.
Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.

Common names

Language	Name	Alternate name	note	seq	Citation
English	rootless duckweed			1	Botanical Society of the British Isles. BSBI taxon database (on-line resource).
German	wurzellose Zwergwasserlinse			2	Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen 1819.

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Africa	East Tropical Africa	Kenya			Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
1	Native	Africa	East Tropical Africa	Tanzania			Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
1	Native	Africa	East Tropical Africa	Uganda			Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Algeria			Govaerts, R. & D. G. Frodin. 2002. World checklist and bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae).
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Morocco			Govaerts, R. & D. G. Frodin. 2002. World checklist and bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae).
1	Native	Africa	South Tropical Africa	Angola			Govaerts, R. & D. G. Frodin. 2002. World checklist and bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae).
1	Native	Africa	South Tropical Africa	Mozambique			Govaerts, R. & D. G. Frodin. 2002. World checklist and bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae).
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	Botswana			Govaerts, R. & D. G. Frodin. 2002. World checklist and bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae).
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	South Africa	Cape Province		Govaerts, R. & D. G. Frodin. 2002. World checklist and bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae).
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	South Africa	KwaZulu-Natal		Govaerts, R. & D. G. Frodin. 2002. World checklist and bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae).
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	South Africa	Transvaal		Govaerts, R. & D. G. Frodin. 2002. World checklist and bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae).
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Côte D'Ivoire			Govaerts, R. & D. G. Frodin. 2002. World checklist and bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae).
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Ghana			Govaerts, R. & D. G. Frodin. 2002. World checklist and bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae).
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Nigeria			Govaerts, R. & D. G. Frodin. 2002. World checklist and bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae).
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Senegal			Govaerts, R. & D. G. Frodin. 2002. World checklist and bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae).
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Togo			Govaerts, R. & D. G. Frodin. 2002. World checklist and bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae).
1	Native	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Burundi			Jardin botanique national de Belgique. 1967-. Flore du Congo, du Rwanda et du Burundi (Flore d'Afrique centrale).
1	Native	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Rwanda			Jardin botanique national de Belgique. 1967-. Flore du Congo, du Rwanda et du Burundi (Flore d'Afrique centrale).
1	Native	Africa	Western Indian Ocean	Madagascar			Govaerts, R. & D. G. Frodin. 2002. World checklist and bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Georgia			Govaerts, R. & D. G. Frodin. 2002. World checklist and bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Iran			Govaerts, R. & D. G. Frodin. 2002. World checklist and bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Israel			Govaerts, R. & D. G. Frodin. 2002. World checklist and bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae).
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	India	Jammu and Kashmir		Govaerts, R. & D. G. Frodin. 2002. World checklist and bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae).
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Belarus			Govaerts, R. & D. G. Frodin. 2002. World checklist and bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae).
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Russian Federation	Volgogradskaja oblast'		Skvortsov, A. K., ed. 2006. Flora of the Lower Volga region 1:316.
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Ukraine			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Austria			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Belgium			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Germany			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Hungary			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Netherlands			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Poland			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Northern Europe	United Kingdom			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Bulgaria			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Croatia			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Italy		incl. Sicily	Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Romania			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Serbia			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Slovenia			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Southwestern Europe	France			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southwestern Europe	Portugal			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southwestern Europe	Spain			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Southern America	Brazil	Brazil	Rio de Janeiro		Govaerts, R. & D. G. Frodin. 2002. World checklist and bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae).
4	Naturalized	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Japan			Govaerts, R. & D. G. Frodin. 2002. World checklist and bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae).
4	Naturalized	Europe	Middle Europe	Czech Republic			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Europe	Middle Europe	Slovakia			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southwestern U.S.A.	United States	California	s.	Govaerts, R. & D. G. Frodin. 2002. World checklist and bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae).
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Brazil	Brazil			Govaerts, R. & D. G. Frodin. 2002. World checklist and bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae).

Native
Africa

NORTHERN AFRICA: Algeria, Morocco
EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
WEST-CENTRAL TROPICAL AFRICA: Burundi, Rwanda
WEST TROPICAL AFRICA: Côte D'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo
SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICA: Angola, Mozambique
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Botswana, South Africa [Cape Province, KwaZulu-Natal, Transvaal]
WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN: Madagascar

Asia-Temperate

WESTERN ASIA: Iran, Israel
CAUCASUS: Georgia

Asia-Tropical

INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: India [Jammu and Kashmir]

Europe

NORTHERN EUROPE: United Kingdom
MIDDLE EUROPE: Austria, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland
EASTERN EUROPE: Belarus, Russian Federation [Volgogradskaja oblast'], Ukraine
SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy (incl. Sicily), Romania, Serbia, Slovenia
SOUTHWESTERN EUROPE: Spain, France, Portugal

Southern America

BRAZIL: Brazil [Rio de Janeiro]

Naturalized
Asia-Temperate

EASTERN ASIA: Japan

Europe

MIDDLE EUROPE: Czech Republic, Slovakia

Northern America

SOUTHWESTERN U.S.A.: United States [California (s.)]

Southern America

BRAZIL: Brazil

Reference(s)

Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
Govaerts, R. & D. G. Frodin. 2002. World checklist and bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae).
Jardin botanique national de Belgique. 1967-. Flore du Congo, du Rwanda et du Burundi (Flore d'Afrique centrale).
Skvortsov, A. K., ed. 2006. Flora of the Lower Volga region 1:316.
Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Animal food	fodder		Landolt, E. 1996. pers. comm. Note: re. common names
Weed			Holm, L. et al. 1979. A geographical atlas of world weeds

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=403878. Accessed 8 November 2026.