Phyllanthus fluitans
| Phyllanthus fluitans | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae | 
| Clade: | Tracheophytes | 
| Clade: | Angiosperms | 
| Clade: | Eudicots | 
| Clade: | Rosids | 
| Order: | Malpighiales | 
| Family: | Phyllanthaceae | 
| Genus: | Phyllanthus | 
| Species: | P. fluitans | 
| Binomial name | |
| Phyllanthus fluitans | |
| Synonyms | |
| 
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Phyllanthus fluitans, also known as the red root floater, floating spurge, or apple duckweed (although it is neither a spurge or a duckweed), is a species of free floating aquatic plant and herbaceous perennial in the family Phyllanthaceae. This species is one of the only three non-terrestrial species in the genus Phyllanthus, with the other species being P. leonardianus and P. felicis. The generic name comes from Ancient Greek meaning leaf or a leaf (φύλλον, phúllon; phyll) flower (ἄνθος, anthos; anthus), and the specific name comes from Latin meaning floating or float (fluito; fluitans). It was described in March 1863 by George Bentham and Johannes Müller Argoviensis.