June 2026

Duckweeds (genus Lemna) are common inhabitants of slow-moving surface waters of lakes and ponds around the globe. At first glance, they might be mistaken for mats of algae or fragments of grass or sedge leaves left behind by a sloppily-feeding muskrat. Individual duckweed plants consist of a single, flat thallus (technically a modified leaf-like stem) 1/8 […]

Xerpha Gaines (1891-1970) was a prominent Washington State University alum and botanist, with particular expertise in weeds. Born in Wisconsin and moving to Washington with her family in the early 1900s, she was an exceptional student with an intimate familiarity of the local flora. She married WSU agronomist Edward Gaines, who encouraged her to pursue […]