The plant world of the Earth is so vast and diverse that one human imagination would not be enough to come up with some species. Trunks of giant sequoias rush into the sky, in tropical forests dizzy from aromas and riot of colors, and on the seabed under a huge thickness of water corals cling to stones.
Among the plant diversity of our planet there are very small species. A separate such plant can even be invisible to the human eye, and only a whole cluster of such species is visible.
In this article we have collected ten species of the smallest plants in the world. Despite their size, each of them is indispensable for its ecosystem.
10. Algae
Seaweed - This is a large group of plants that vary in origin. They are united by the presence of chlorophyll and the ability to receive power from light.
Algae live mainly in water or in a very humid environment, and they themselves cannot be divided into separate organs. Among these plants, there are real giants, for example, kelp or brown algae, which can stretch for 30-50 m, but there are also microscopic species a few microns in size.
Separate freely floating algae, which become noticeable when they grow in a colony (it is they that cause the "bloom" of water bodies), benthic ones that attach to the bottom, or parasitic, they prefer other organisms. The role of algae is huge, because they create about 80% of all organics on Earth.
9. Konofitum
In the deserts of South Africa you can see bowling plants. This is how a mixture of Latin and Greek translates conophytum. They belong to the family of Aiza and are leaf succulents, plants that have special fabrics for water supply. In the desert, it is relevant like nowhere else.
They are two fleshy leaves fused together, have a spherical or heart-shaped shape, and hide a short stalk underground. Color varies from pale green to brown, and the size varies from a few millimeters to 5-10 centimeters.
8. Gibbeum
Gibbeum - Another representative of Aiza, growing in southern Africa, mainly in the Mali Karru desert. They are two fused leaves, which is why the locals come up with a variety of names for them: the baby’s butt, ostrich's fingers, fish’s mouth and others.
The Latin name comes from the word "hump". There are about 20 species of gibbeum, but each of them blooms with very beautiful white, pink, purple or pale purple flowers.
The length of the leaves is about 1 cm, it can rarely reach 10 cm. Gibbeum is called a living stone, and it is very popular in culture and home growing.
7. Blossfeldia liliputana
Blossomfeldia - A resident of South America, a representative of cacti. It was named after Harry Blossfeld, a traveler, explorer, and botanist. The dark green balls that are visible above the ground are plant stems, often flattened. There are no spines or tubercles on them, but there are white specks.
The buds appear at the very top of the stem, open with white flowers that bloom up to 5 days. The diameter of each stem is 1-3 cm.
6. Mosses
Mosses - A huge and one of the oldest groups of plants, which includes 10 thousand species, combined in 700 genera. Typically, individual stems of mosses are very small, do not exceed half a centimeter in length, and only certain species (usually underwater) can be extended up to half a meter.
A distinctive feature of mosses is the absence of roots, flowers and a conductive system. They reproduce by spreading spores. Mosses are spread all over the planet and are able to survive even in the most intolerable conditions, for example, in Antarctica.
The minimum size of the moss is a few millimeters. It usually grows in dense groups, often in damp places or near water, although aquatic species do not exist. Mosses not only love swamps, but also actively participate in the swamping of the area.
5. Gelksina
Gelksina (or salinity) - a creeping plant with small leaves, which belongs to the nettle family, but not much resemble nettle itself. Helksin grows in a tropical climate, on the Mediterranean coast, as well as in Corsica.
This plant spreads on the ground, on pancake stems are groups of dark green leaves. Each leaflet in diameter does not exceed 5 mm. Soleiropia loves a warm climate and shaded places, so in nature you can find whole glades in the shade of trees, overgrown with openwork carpet. Or stone fences sprinkled with small leaves.
Gelksina is very popular as a houseplant for its good looks and relative ease of use.
4. Duckweed
If you do not care about your pond, one day you may find that it is covered with a dense green carpet. Looking closer, you can see a lot of tiny leaves. If you pull it, you can find a long root that goes under the water. That's what it is duckweed. It is common throughout the planet, loves both temperate and hot climates, but grows only in stagnant fresh water.
Duckweed blooms very rarely, and its flowers are small and inconspicuous. This plant is used in agriculture as feed for some animals, for example, pigs or geese.
3. Nerter
Nerter known for its species during the appearance of the fruit. Then elongated shiny green leaves cover the beads of bright red berries. It looks really very beautiful. Nerter belongs to the madder family and is a soil-covering plant. Its very name comes from a Greek word meaning "small".
It grows in the tropics and subtropics, found in South America, South Asia, Oceania. Nerter's leaves are very small, only half a centimeter in diameter, and since it covers the ground with a carpet, it is often confused with a gelskina. But it is worth waiting for the appearance of berries, as everything falls into place.
2. Wolfless rootless
In warm climates, in the Mediterranean, South America, and southern Asia, you can find water in water bodies. rootless wolfia. This plant is so small that it is often not visible to the naked eye. Sometimes oval leaflets grow to 1 mm. These green balls float on the surface of the water, and when adverse conditions occur, for example, in the winter, they sink to the bottom to float when it gets warmer.
Wolfia feeds on nutrients dissolved in water and is almost always in a state of division. Wolfia was also found on the territory of Russia, for example, in the reservoirs of the Voronezh and Bryansk regions.
1. Wolffia spherical
Wolffia spherical - The smallest plant in the world. All representatives of the Wolfia family are characterized by a tiny size, but the diameter of the spherical varies from 100-200 micrometers to 0.5 mm. Floats on the surface of the water, off the coast. It prefers a warm climate, and the primary habitat of its habitat is the Asian tropics and subtropics. Already from there it was brought to South and North America.
The plant is an elongated leaf on which flowers appear. These flowers are so small that they can only be examined under a microscope, and the method of pollination and seed formation are still being studied by scientists.