Spirodela polyrhiza

Giant duckmeat

Family: Araceae · Type: perennial · Native

Giant duckmeat is a California native perennial found in northern and central coastal ranges, Sierra Nevada, Central Valley, central Coast, San Francisco Bay Area, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert regions in freshwater habitats at elevations below 2,500 meters. Flowering in August, this aquatic plant produces tiny green to brown flower-like structures on small round-ovate plants. Growing as a floating plant with 5 to 10 millimeters diameter, it develops multiple thin roots through minute scales. Its symmetric plant body features 7 to 12 delicate veins across a smooth upper surface, with winter buds forming in autumn. During seasonal changes, the plant develops specialized reproductive structures that help it survive in aquatic environments.

Habitat: Freshwater

Bloom period: Aug

Elevation: < 2500 m

Bioregions: NCoR, SN, GV, CCo, SnFrB, GB, DMoj

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.