Characteristics of Hydrophyte Plants

Question 1

What is the type of roots owned by hydrophyte plants in general?
How does the root help the plants?

Answer 1

Fibrous roots

• it can trap air bubbles within the root
• so plants will be lighter and can be more stable in water.

Question 2

Hydrophyte plants are aquatic plants. They are either submerge completely in water or floating on the surface of water.

What are the root characteristics for aquatic plants that submerge in water?

Answer 2

• submerge aquatic plants have simple root structures
• they do not depend on roots to have support
• they need buoyant force to be able to float underwater.

Question 3

Hydrophytes

What are the root characteristic for aquatic plants that is on the surface of water? Give an example for that plant that posses it?

Answer 3

• Surface water aquatic plants have roots that are not anchor to the bottom of the water
• lily

Question 4

Hydrophytes

State the leave characteristics for plants that submerged in water.

Answer 4

• leaf for submerge aquatic plants are small and thin
• this is to create large surface area per volume for simple diffusion rate to take place between water and epidermis
• they do not posses cuticles
• do not posses stomata
• to reduce water resistance

Question 5

Hydrophytes

State the characteristics of leaf that floats on surface of water.

Answer 5

• Have large surface area per volume leaf to absorb large amount of sunlight
• Thin, broad, flat
• Have cuticles
• Have many stomata

Question 6

Hydrophytes

Where is the stomata and chloroplast located at in the leaf of a floating plant?

Answer 6

On the upper epidermis

- stomata is always open

Question 7

Hydrophytes

How does the location of the stomata benefits the plants?

Answer 7

Rate of transpiration and rate of gaseous exchange increases

- stomata is always open

Question 8

Hydrophytes

What is the feature for the stem of floating aquatic plants?

Answer 8

• they are consist of aerenchyma tissues
• have many empty spaces between them
• to reduce density

Question 9

Hydrophytes

What are the features for stems in submerging aquatic plants?

Answer 9

• have small and hollow stems
• so they can float upright
• have small xylem
• to reduce water resistance
• no stomata and cuticle

Question 10

Hydrophytes

What are the keywords for hydrophytes aquatic plants?

Answer 10

• less dense
• less water resistance
• float upright
• no stomata and cuticle on stem
• aerenchyma tissue
• air spaces