Honorable Mention: Lettuce Paradox
Photography by Angelina Zitelli, graduate student,
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Mentor: Evelyn Frazier, Ph.D.
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Mentor: Evelyn Frazier, Ph.D.
Water lettuce, or Pistia stratiotes L., is an aquatic plant that can be found all throughout the globe, with populations on every continent except Antarctica. The varieties found in ³Ô¹ÏÍø are unique because there are multiple genetic varieties (haplotypes) that, morphologically, are practically identical. However, the fascination lies in the fact that one of these variations are native to ³Ô¹ÏÍø, while another is invasive. This raises questions about how to approach mitigation efforts.