Water Lettuce
Pistia stratiotes
Photographed in a tilapia fish pond in Eldoret, Kenya. Dec. 2015.
LEAVES: The thick leaves appear corrugated and are very bouyant due to included air pockets.
HERB: Aquatic herb floats on the surface of slow-moving, fresh water bodies.
FLOWERS: A small spathe (modified leaf) partially encloses a group of very small male flowers and a female flower.
Flowers are not commonly seen and the plants reproduce mostly asexually via budding.
RANGE: Water lettuce is found in tropical waters world wide. It's origin is unclear.
FRUIT:
UNARMED.