Aquatic Plants

Lina Munsterhjelm
&
Annika Seppälä

30.9.2008
 Aquatic Plants
• Are plants that have adapted to living in or
on aquatic environments
• Aquatic vascular plants can be ferns or
angiosperms
• Algae are not plants!
• Produce oxygen in to
water systems

http://www.kolumbus.fi/markku.yntala/VALOK
UVAT/KASVITHAK/KUKHAK/xxx23.gif
• Some plants grow under water, some float
on the surface and some have aerial
stems

• Hydrophytes have smaller need to

regulate transpiration due to the
abundance of water in its environment

• Aquatic plants require numerous special

adaptations
 Characteristics of hydrophytes:
1. A thin cuticle
2. Stomata that are open most of the time
3. An increased number of stomata
4. A less rigid structure
5. Flat leaves and air sacs for flotation
6. Smaller and feathery roots
7. Specialized roots able to take in oxygen
 Aquatic plants in Finland
• 112 species (83 actual aquatic plants and
29 aerial stems)
• The number of species decreases
gradually when going from south to north
• Plants have to adapt to Finnish winter
(low water temperature and freezing)
Aquatic plant life forms
 Aquatic plants with aireal stems
1. Common reed, water horsetail, bulrush

http://www.kolumbus.fi/markku.yntala/VALOKUVAT/KAS
http://www.webkasvio.fi/kuvat/48_200.jpg VITHAK/SAMMALHAK/jarvikorte.jpg
 Leaves under water
2. Water milfoil, perfoliate pondweed,
Canadian waterweed

http://kati.tiuhti.net/valokuvia/Vesiotokat/Akvaario/2.php

http://www.ruoko.fi/index.php?page=kasvit
 Floating leaves
3. Yellow waterlily, water-lily, broad-leaved
pondweed

http://www.ymparisto.fi/download.asp?contentid=68007 http://www.cartinafinland.fi/luontokuvia/ima
ges/lumme.jpg
 Under water sprouts
4. Quillwort family, water lobelia

https://www-
hotel1.it.helsinki.fi/~ekuva/virtuaalikasvio/plant.php?id=481
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_iPwm_--lkWA/RrY3y3VEFyI/AAAAAAAACBg/XhP_WILJ8B8/IMG_1227.JPG 6
 Free floaters
5. Duckweed, frogbit
6. Rigid hornwort, common bladderwort

http://www.luontokuvateskonen.com/gallery/main.php?g
2_itemId=1091
 Water mosses
7. Peat moss

http://images.google.fi/imgres?imgurl=http://www.cygnnet.jkl.fi/koulut/viitaniemi/vir
tuaalilajisto/visakas/ka01.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.cygnnet.jkl.fi/koulut/viitaniemi
/virtuaalilajisto/visakas/Rantakasv.htm&h=425&w=425&sz=90&hl=fi&start=7&um=
1&usg=__0pTFXGIEBeMOc29E0ws9U_QDSTQ=&tbnid=HMmLLF_K9Sk8BM:&t
bnh=126&tbnw=126&prev=/images%3Fq%3Drahkasammal%26um%3D1%26hl%
3Dfi
 Aquatic plants in Baltic sea
• There is brackish water in Baltic sea
-> fresh and salt water plants
• Plants have to adapt the diversity of the
salt gradient
• Species and the variety of them changes
with the salt gradient
 Right answers
1. Pond water-crowfoot = järvisätkin
2. Broad-leaved pondweed = uistinvita
3. Water horsetail = järvikorte
4. Common reed = järviruoko
5. Perfoliate pondweed = ahvenvita
6. Yellow waterlily = ulpukka
7. Water-lily = lumme
8. Duck weed = limaska
Thanks