Central Idea

Scientists from Thailand are conducting groundbreaking research into the potential of watermeal, the world’s smallest flowering plant, as a source of nutrition and oxygen for astronauts.

What are Watermeal?

Watermeal, a member of the Araceae family, stands out as the smallest flowering plant globally.
It manifests as minuscule green seeds.
Watermeal thrives in a variety of environments, from temperate to sub-tropical and tropical regions. It finds its home on the surface of lakes, ponds, and marshes.
Distinctive Features:
1. Measuring less than 1 millimeter, watermeal is incredibly tiny.
2. This free-floating plant lacks both roots and leaves.
3. It consists of a solitary, oval, or spherical frond that gracefully floats on the calm or slow-moving waters.
4. Watermeal gives birth to the world’s smallest fruit, known as a utricle.
5. Surprisingly, watermeal is a nutritional powerhouse, boasting the status of a complete protein, as it contains all nine essential amino acids.
6. Under certain circumstances, watermeal can become invasive, forming dense mats that blanket entire water surfaces.

Compact Growth: Its microscopic size allows for efficient cultivation within confined spacecraft environments.
Nutritional Richness: As a complete protein, it offers astronauts a sustainable source of essential amino acids.
Oxygen Generation: Watermeal photosynthesizes, producing oxygen that can be vital for life support systems in space.
Space Farming: Cultivating watermeal in space could reduce the need for transporting perishable food items from Earth, making missions more self-sustaining.