The Turion Duckweed Lemna turionifera with a size of less than three millimeters is the only duckweed species here generating turions. Turions are perennating buds of about 1 mm size which are detaching from certain aquatic plants, e.g. this duckweed, and are hibernating in the bed of the water. In spring they rise up to the water surface again in order to form a new generation of the Turion Duckweed. At sunny sites the species can easily be recognized by its purple anticyan color in early summer. Usually it is somewhat bigger than the green Lemna minuta, but smaller than Lemna minor, which can be tinged with red in a more slightly way. The bigger duckweeds on the first photos are belonging to Lemna minor. In Europe Lemna turionifera has not earlier been recognized than in the eighties, but it's not sure, whether it is a neophyte from America, or whether it existed undetected already for long time in Europe.