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Anatomical Adaptations of Hydrophytes

Plants that grow in water or very wet places are called hydrophytes. Their structural adaptations include the reduction of protective, supporting, conducting, and absorbing tissues due to high water availability and low oxygen supply. Key adaptations include the development of air chambers called aerenchyma for aeration and buoyancy, epidermal cells that absorb directly from water, lack of sclerenchyma tissues, greatly reduced vascular tissues, and poorly developed root systems without root hairs or caps.

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2K views4 pages

Anatomical Adaptations of Hydrophytes

Plants that grow in water or very wet places are called hydrophytes. Their structural adaptations include the reduction of protective, supporting, conducting, and absorbing tissues due to high water availability and low oxygen supply. Key adaptations include the development of air chambers called aerenchyma for aeration and buoyancy, epidermal cells that absorb directly from water, lack of sclerenchyma tissues, greatly reduced vascular tissues, and poorly developed root systems without root hairs or caps.

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Sweet Baby Barik
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Hydrophytes

Plants that grow in water or very wet places are called hydrophytes (hydro –
water, phyton – plant). They may be submerged, partly submerged,floating or
amphibious. Their structural adaptations are mainly due to the high water
availability and deficient supply of oxygen. Their various adaptations are as
follows :
i. The reduction of protective tissue (epidermis here is meant for absorption
and not for protection)
ii. Reduction of supporting or mechanical tissue (e.g., lack of sclerenchyma)
iii. Reduction of conducting tissue (minimum development of vascular tissue)
iv. Reduction of absorbing tissue( Roots chiefly act as anchors, root hairs
lacking )
v. Development of air chambers (aerenchyma) for aeration of internal tissues
and buoyancy.
Epidermis :
* In aquatic plants, epidermis is not protective but absorbs gases and nutrients
directly from water. Extremely thin cuticle and thin cellulose walls permits easy
absorption from surrounding water.
* Epidermal cells of leaves generally contain chloroplast, especially when
leaves are very thin. These chloroplasts utilize the weak light under water for
photosynthesis.
* In submerged plants, stomata are not present and exchange of gases takes
place directly through cell walls. Floating leaves of submerged plants have
abundant stomata on the upper surface.
Lack of Sclerenchyma :
• Few or no sclerenchyma tissues in submerged plants. The water itself
gives support to the plant.
• The strands of sclerenchyma occasionally occur, especially along leaf
margins,and increases tensile strength.
Reduced vascular tissues :
• Xylem greatly reduced and in many aquatic plants consists of only a few
elements.
• In some aquatic plants these are lacking and replaced by a well
developed xylem lacunae in the position of xylem.
• These lacunae resemble typical air-chambers.
• In many aquatic plants, the phloem is fairly well developed as compared
to the xylem.
Reduction of root system :
• Root system in hydrophytes is poorly developed and root hairs and root
cap are absent.
• In some floating plants like Urticularia, Ceratophyllum, no roots are
developed and in submerged plants such as Vallisneria, Hydrilla etc.,
water dissolved mineral salts and gases areabsorbedby theirwhole
surface.
• In Pistia, Eichhornia, no root cap develops but root pocket is formed.
Development of air-chambers :
• The air-chambers filled with gases are commonly found in the leaves and
stems of hydrophytes. The air chambers air chambers are large, usually
regular intercellular spaces, e.g., Potamogeton.
• Air chambers provide buoyancy to the plant for floating.
• They also store air (oxygen and carbon dioxide). The carbon dioxide
released in respiration are stored in these cavities for use in
photosynthesis.
• The oxygen released in photosynthesis during daytime is similarly stored
in them for respiration.
• Another specialized tissue frequently found in aquatic plants that gives
buoyancy to the plant parts containing it is the aerenchyma.
***

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