Duckweed Not Only Survives, but Thrives Harsh Conditions
Ken Carman of Roxbury Park in Meggett, South Carolina reported back on his superman duckweed.
“It’s alive and kicking after being buried for 15 months under a mulch pile,” he said with a grin. The picture shows one of three containers that Ken seeded from his unearthed minute specimens and all are reported to be growing madly.
What does that say about duckweed’s ability to adapt to not only darkness, but to wide temperature and moisture ranges? My theory is that much of the original duckweed died in the darkness but bacteria rendered it into usable nutrients, including sugars for the surviving duckweed to absorb in the dark. Mulch pile temperatures might have swung from 35- 90 degrees. As far as moisture goes, we know that duckweed can survive on mud on the edge of a stream or pond, so am thinking that Ken’s mulch pile never had a chance to dry out completely but probably came close a few times. All in all, this is quite a feat for the smallest flowering plant on the world.
Thankfulness to my father who informed me about this web site, this blog is actually remarkable.
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Goodday, a noble quest you are on! Are you identifying your species as you find them?
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Because its Natural …and Survival is just Instinct-Ive ..actually is to be found Naturally ,near the river-sewage drain heads…or in water bodies ie small water logged shallow ponds near the rural inhabitations,where normal underground sewage system is not there or even where the sewage drain pipes leakages open up in water bodies ..it’s a common sight in whole of rural India ..I am documenting duckweed found in Different regions/states of India because it has been adaptively naturalised in such local agro-climatic conditions
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