Aquatic Plants
plants growing in or belonging to water. The presence of water is not only essential to the active life of all organisms, but is peculiarly necessary for plants which are for the most part dependent for food supply on matter dissolved in water, as well as on the carbonic anhydride mingled with erogams, a return to aquatic life is ex- Among the flowering plants, or phancases, while a very large number grow hibited by numerous, though exceptional in moist situations, and have a semiaquatic habit. The simple monocotyledons, known as helobieæ, or marsh lilies, are more or less strictly water-plants.
The arrowhead (sagittaria), and other alismacex; the butomis of the marshes; hydrocharis, with floating kidney-shaped leaves; the water soldier (stratiotes), with the Canadian pond weed (anacharis). narrow submerged leaves; and Among dicotyledons, the white water buttercup (ranunculus aquatilis), with its slightly divided floating, and much dissected submerged leaves; the yellow and white water-lilies (nymphæa); the sacred lotus flower of the Ganges and Nile (nelumbium); the gigantic Victoria regia of tropical South America; and the insectivorous bladderwort or utricularia, forms. are among the most familiar aquatic copper by which a beautiful effect is