Hydrophyte
From Freepedia
A hydrophyte is a plant adapted to growing in water, waterlogged soil or on a substrate that becomes inundated on a regular basis. The term is from the Greek for "water" and "plant"; the adjective is hydrophytic.
Hydrophytes share several survival characteristics:
- A thin cuticle.
- Stomata that are open most of time: water is abundant.
- An increased number of stomata.
- A less rigid structure: water pressure supports them.
- Large flat leaves on surface plants for flotation.
- Air sacs for flotation.
- Smaller roots: water can diffuse directly into leaves.
- Feathery roots: no need to support the plant.
- Specialized roots designed to take in oxygen.
For example, some species of buttercup (genus Ranunculus) float slightly submerged in water; only the flowers extend above the water. Their leaves and roots are long and thin and almost hair-like; this helps spread the mass of the plant over a wide area, making it more buoyant. The long roots and thin leaves also provide a greater surface area for uptake of mineral solutes and oxygen.
The wide flat leaves of water lilies (family Nymphaeaceae) help distribute the plants' weight over a large area, thus helping them float near the water surface.
