Over de oecologie van bloeiende Lemna trisulca

Flowering Lemna trisulca has been found in three localities in the province of Zeeland. The vegetative plants are completely submerged and do not show any adaptation to aerial life (ricciellids). The fertile plants rise to and drift on the surface, as their fronds contain intracellular air spaces, and stomata are developed (lemnids). The inflorescences are proterandrous. Pollination takes place by direct contact of the stiff curved stamens of the one plant with the short style of an other plant. Contacts are easily made, as wind, water currents and moving animals continually shift the position of the fronds, which usually are densely packed. The species has its optimum in relatively small waters, where it is sheltered from wind- and waveaction, and where it can develop mass vegetations colonizing the free space of the water without competition from floating plants or floating leaves of rooting plants. The species forms a monospecific plant association, Lemnetum trisulcae, which has to be classified together with the Riccietum fluitantis into the Lemnion trisulcae, the alliance of the ricciellid water-plant communities.