The new debate [Are floating plants technically semi-aquatic?]

[Rocky998]

So, lets do a friendly debate... Are floating plants such as duck weed or water lilies "fully" aquatic or would you say that they are semi aquatic due to the fact that they are part way out of water?

 

[StripySnailGirl04]

Comme Ci, comme ca.

 

[Rocky998]

Comme Ci, comme ca.

Huh

 

[StripySnailGirl04]

Lol, it means so-so in French.
I believe floating plants are aquatic because they depend on water for survival.

 

[Rocky998]

All plants depend on water

Lol, it means so-so in French.
I believe floating plants are aquatic because they depend on water for survival.

 

[StripySnailGirl04]

All plants depend on water

Depend on... wait, this so confusing.

 

[Rocky998]

Without watering your garden or the rain plants would shrivel up and die.... Now aquatic plants definitely need more water but they both do depend on it. There are plants that are considered semi aquatic because they grow in water but they are also out of the water

Depend on... wait, this so confusing.

 

[Rocky998]

I got to go to bed now... Im sooo tired... It's 1:10 AM here! I'm killing myself

 

[itiwhetu]

Aquatic plants need to be fully submerged

 

[Caesar]

I've had grass grow into my pond and transition to emersed growth and duckweed grow up out of my pond and transition to grow terrestrially.

 

[Rocky998]

I've had grass grow into my pond and transition to emersed growth and duckweed grow up out of my pond and transition to grow terrestrially.

That's really cool!

 

[Rocky998]

Aquatic plants need to be fully submerged

That is how I view it must times but then sometimes I don't lol

 

[Byron]

In the literature I have read, floating plants are considered aquatic, though some of them might be amphibious but not by reason of having floating leaves. I have not come across "semi-aquatic" as being technically defined, so it may be one of those terms we use as more of a convenience.

There are terrestrial plants whose leaves grow in the air with the roots in soil or sometimes water (hydroponic cultivation for example) and whose leaves cannot survive being permanently submersed. There are aquatic plants whose leaves grow submersed in water (true aquatics because the leaves cannot survive in air). Then there are amphibious plants, also termed marsh or bog plants, that can grow either submersed or emersed (again referring to the leaves) with the roots in very moist substrate.

Concerning the two plants mentioned in post #1. Water lilies are aquatic plants. Duckweed is a common name for several species in the genus Lemna, formerly considered to be in the family Lemnaceae but now classified in the family Araceae, which many will recognize as including the lilies (arum). These are flowering plants, and though it rarely (if ever) hgappens in the aquarium, in nature Lemna species do flower. Kasselmann and others consider duckweed as aquatic, and she notes it occurs as a floating plant, and the species L. minor in some habitats in waterfalls where it attaches to the rocks/soil by means of its long roots which stabilize it in strong winds.

 

[Rocky998]

In the literature I have read, floating plants are considered aquatic, though some of them might be amphibious but not by reason of having floating leaves. I have not come across "semi-aquatic" as being technically defined, so it may be one of those terms we use as more of a convenience.

There are terrestrial plants whose leaves grow in the air with the roots in soil or sometimes water (hydroponic cultivation for example) and whose leaves cannot survive being permanently submersed. There are aquatic plants whose leaves grow submersed in water (true aquatics because the leaves cannot survive in air). Then there are amphibious plants, also termed marsh or bog plants, that can grow either submersed or emersed (again referring to the leaves) with the roots in very moist substrate.

Concerning the two plants mentioned in post #1. Water lilies are aquatic plants. Duckweed is a common name for several species in the genus Lemna, formerly considered to be in the family Lemnaceae but now classified in the family Araceae, which many will recognize as including the lilies (arum). These are flowering plants, and though it rarely (if ever) hgappens in the aquarium, in nature Lemna species do flower. Kasselmann and others consider duckweed as aquatic, and she notes it occurs as a floating plant, and the species L. minor in some habitats in waterfalls where it attaches to the rocks/soil by means of its long roots which stabilize it in strong winds.

So scientifically speaking, floating plants are aquatic... In my mind they will always be semi aquatic just cause I feel like they are

 

[Byron]

So scientifically speaking, floating plants are aquatic... In my mind they will always be semi aquatic just cause I feel like they are

That's fine, so long as everyone realizes the issue/differences. BTW, floating plants are certainly more needful of being aquatic than being terrestrial, because of the leaf structure (which is aquatic--the amphibious plants usually if not always have different structured leaves for submersed and emersed growth), and their uptake of nutrients. Aquatic plants use ammonium as their source of nitrogen, and only turn to nitrate when forced to because it means extra work (= energy lost) changing nitrate back into ammonium in order to use it, whereas all terrestrial plants take up nitrate as their source of nitrogen, and so far as I am aware all do this via their roots. Aquatic plants assimilate their nitrogen via the leaves in most cases.