Azollas

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of small aquatic plants that often float on water surfaces and belong to the family of ferns
2. These are diminutive, free-floating plants typically found in freshwater habitats, known for their unique structure and reproductive cycles
3. Tiny, floating plants that thrive in aquatic environments, often serving as both shelter and food for various organisms

Etymology: "Azollas" is simply the plural of "azolla," the common name for a genus of tiny floating water ferns. The word takes its form from the genus name Azolla, which botanists settled on when classifying these plants. Given that the genus name is a technical coinage rather than an ancient word, there is no older everyday usage to trace behind it; the plant's story belongs to scientific naming rather than to folk language.

Synonyms: duckweeds, water ferns, aquatic plants, floating plants