What is Watermeal?

08-10-2023

08:24 AM

1 min read

Prelims: Environment & Ecology

Overview:

Scientists are conducting groundbreaking research into the potential of watermeal, the world's smallest flowering plant, as a source of nutrition and oxygen for astronauts.

About Watermeal

Watermeal is an aquatic plant in the Araceae family.
It is the smallest flowering plant in the world and appears assmall green seeds.
It is often referred to as "duckweed" because it is a favorite food of ducks.

Distribution

It flourishes in temperate, sub-tropical, and tropical locations.
They grow on the surface of lakes, ponds, and marshes.

Features

It is a very tiny (less than 1 millimeter) light green, free-floating, rootless plant.
It is branchless and also has no leaves.
It consists of a single, oval, or spherical frond that floats on the surface of still or slow-moving water bodies.
It also produces the world’s smallest fruit, called a utricle.
It is a nutritional powerhouse. It is a complete protein, meaning that it contains all nine essential amino acids.
In some cases, watermeal can become invasive and form dense mats that cover the entire surface of a water body.

Q1: What is an invasive species?

An invasive species is an organism that is not indigenous, or native, to a particular area. Invasive species can cause great economic and environmental harm to the new area.

Source: Earth's smallest flowering plant may become food, oxygen source for astronauts