logo Calflora, a 501c3 non-profit
Taxon  Report  
Wolffia globosa  (Roxb.) Hartog & Plas
Asian watermeal,   Water meal
Wolffia globosa is a perennial herb that is native to California.
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
Genus: Wolffia
Family: Araceae  
(Lemnaceae)
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Monocot
Jepson eFlora section: monocot

Wetlands: Occurs in wetlands

Communities: wetland-riparian

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + PLANTS + POWO
Alternate Names:
JEF + PLANTSWolffia cylindracea
Information about  Wolffia globosa from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
Commercial availability unknown.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (WOGL3)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

[Wikipedia] Flower Size: Wolffia globosa has been described as the world's smallest flowering plant, at 0.1 - 0.2 mm (0.004 - 0.008 in) in diameter.[4][5] (link added by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2025. The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 05/19/2025).