Nature is not only beautiful but also full of miseries. There many wonders in this planet. We have heard of world’s tallest person, animal etc. Have you ever known that there is a fruit which is considered has the world’s smallest fruit.
Wolffia globosa, is more commonly known as the Asian watermeal. This is the smallest fruit in the world which is the size of an ant.
The watermeal isn’t just the world’s smallest fruit, it’s the world’s smallest flowering plant too. It’s a type of duckweed, and the miniscule fruit it produces is smaller than any other. At its biggest, the plant itself reaches about one-third of an inch, and the fruit is even tinier. Its size ranges from 0.7 to 1.5 millimetres.
The fruit looks like light green grains and is around 1mm long. Wolffia Globasa floats on the surface of calm bodies of water such as lakes and ponds. Asian watermeal grows quickly, spreading across the surfaces of bodies of water at an incredible rate, floating without needing roots, stems, or leaves to survive. Mainly it reproduces asexually, but very occasionally it flowers, and from the flowers comes the smallest fruit in the world.
This plant needs to be in a sunny spot on freshwater body surfaces such as those of ponds and lakes. The water of these water bodies needs to be rich in nitrates. It grows on still water where the wind is minimal.
In certain regions of Asia, they are harvested and consumed as a vegetable. They are a good source of protein, with around 40% of the fruit being protein by mass. Consuming this fruit can help diabetes patients since these plants prevent blood sugar levels from rising above the normal range. Blood sugar levels also tend to return to the normal range even if there is a peak. This fruit can help prevent accumulation of fat in the liver as well and lower the risk of non-alcoholic liver disease.
