Abstract
Duckweeds in the family Lemnaceae are widely distributed over the world. This family is classified in the order Arales, and mainly consists of three genera: Spirodela, Lemna, and Wolffia. Small sizes and rapid growth are some of their unique characteristics that attract plant scientists. Physiological studies using Lemna plants have a long history but almost no genetic and molecular biological studies have been undertaken. I began to approach the physiological and molecular bases of circadian system and photoperiodic flowering by using Lemna plants seven years ago. Since then, genetic and molecular tools have been gradually accumulated. Potential of Lemnaceae plants for basic and applied studies in the plant science and also the status of the researches using these plants will be presented.
