Wolffia sp.
Watermeal, Watermeal
(c) Grzegorz Grzejszczak, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Grzegorz Grzejszczak · licence
Family: Araceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Wolffia sp. (Watermeal) is a native California perennial in the Araceae family.
How to tell it apart
vs Lemna: Wolffia is spherical and 0.4-1.3 mm; Lemna is disc-shaped, larger, and has a root.; vs Landoltia: Wolffia is spherical, rootless, and 0.4-1.3 mm; Landoltia has 2-7 roots and is much larger.; vs Spirodela: Wolffia is spherical, rootless, and 0.4-1.3 mm; Spirodela has 7-16 roots and is much larger.; vs Wolffiella: Wolffia is spherical like caviar; Wolffiella is flat and ribbon-shaped.
Frequently asked questions
Is Wolffia sp. native to California?
Yes. Wolffia sp. is native to California (recorded as native).
What plant family does Wolffia sp. belong to?
Wolffia sp. is in the Araceae family, genus Wolffia.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Wolffia arrhiza — Spotless watermeal
- Wolffia borealis — Northern water meal
- Wolffia brasiliensis — Brazilian watermeal
- Wolffia columbiana — Columbia water meal
- Wolffia globosa — Asian watermeal
- Wolffiella lingulata — Mud midget
- Wolffiella oblonga — Mud midget
- Wolffiella sp. — Mud-midget
- Zantedeschia aethiopica — Calla-lily
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-04-14
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.