Download Aquatic plants

Aquatic plants
Aquatic plants are adapted to live in
water or constantly flooded
ecosystems. These plants are
sometimes referred to as hydrophytes.
Aquatic plants may be rooted in wet
soil or be free floating in the water.
Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)
is an example of a free-floating plant.
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Aquatic plants
Leaves on aquatic plants may be:
Floating
Partially submerged
Aerial
Lemna and Wolffia are free-floating and
are among the smallest flowering plants.
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Aquatic plants
Water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) produces a
rosette of free-floating leaves. The long roots
are adapted to live in water rather than soil.
Pistia stratiotes
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Aquatic plants
Water lily (Nymphaea ) also produces floating
leaves. The flat leaves optimize exposure to
light and are buoyant for floating. Plants are
rooted in the saturated soil of a lake or pond.
Nymphaea
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Aquatic plants
Water lily leaves have large open, air-filled cells called arenchyma that help
the leaves float on water.
Epidermal surface cells
containing chlorophyll.
Arenchyma cells.
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Aquatic plants
Amazon lily (Victoria amazonica ) produces an enormous floating leaf.
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Aquatic plants
Lotus (Nelumbo) produces leaves and
flowers held above the water.
They produce an edible rhizome that is
rooted into the muddy lake bottom.
Nelumbo nucifera
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Aquatic plants
Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata) produces
aerial leaves held above the water.
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Aquatic plants
Parrot feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum)
have leaves that are highly dissected and
partially submerged. These plants are
free-floating.
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