Aquatic Plant - Morphological Classification

Morphological Classification

There are many possible classifications of aquatic plants based upon morphology. One example has six groups as follows:

• Amphiphytes: plants that are adapted to live either submerged or on land.
• Elodeids: stem plants that complete their entire life cycle submerged, or with only their flowers above the waterline.
• Isoetids: rosette plants that complete their entire life cycle submerged.
• Helophytes: plants rooted in the bottom, but with leaves above the waterline.
• Nymphaeids: plants rooted in the bottom, but with leaves floating on the water surface.
• Pleuston: vascular plants that float freely in the water.