World's smallest flowering plant

The world's smallest fruit is naturally created by the world's smallest flowering plant, genus Wolffia, a part of the duckweed family., the smallest of which are the Australian Wolffia angusta and the Asian/African Wolffia globosa.

The plant itself measures about 1 mm long and the fruit is no bigger than a grain of salt.

A Bouquet on the Head of a Pin!

I can't overemphasize how tiny these little guys are, as a dozen Wolffia blooms could be arranged tastefully on the head of a pin. While they are flowering plants capable of producing seeds, Wolffia reproduces most commonly by vegetative means. A mature plant will produce a bud which will grow into an individual plant and separate off from the parent. Their capacity for vegetative reproduction is incredible, as the Indian species Wolffia microscopica can produce a smaller daughter plant every 30 to 36 hours. At this rate of reproduction, one plant could give rise to about 1 nonillion (a one followed by 30 zeros) in a period of only 4 months. Fortunately, these plants are edible and are similar to soybeans in their protein content. In fact, Wolffia is eaten by people in Thailand. It is known there as "water-eggs" or khai-nam.
A Large Future for such a Small Plant

Wolffia have the potential to help solve some of the world's most pressing problems, from bioremediation of polluted waters to serving as a food source for humans and animals, to even providing biofuel to lessen our dependence on oil. Such amazing possibilities for such a diminutive plant, and incurably cute, too!

Source <http://davesgarden.com>