94 aquatic plant species belonging to emergent, submerged, rooted with floating
leaves and free-floating hydrophytes in the study. When the data was compared with
earlier reports for the same wetlands, it showed that population of aquatic plants in
terms of diversity was declining in Vadodara region to the point of extinction and it
was recommended that these aquatic plants should be conserved to uphold the rich
biodiversity for Vadodara region for the welfare of humanity.
Saini and Kumar (2017) had stated that seasonal and monthly variation were
responsible for appearance and diversity of aquatic community of rainy water
wetlands of Yamuna Nagar, Haryana. They have recorded of 59 species belonging
to 37 families. Maximum number of species was recorded for family Poaceae and
the minimum for family Adiantaceae.
1.1.3 List of Commonly Occurring Aquatic Angiosperms
Aquatic plants are adapted to survive in freshwater or marine water environments.
Aquatic Macrophytes are various groups of aquatic plants which have substantial
size to be visible by naked eye. They either grow in or surrounding the water. Thus,
they are excellent indicator of frequently changing environmental condition of
aquatic body. Hence, composition of macrophytes community can reflect great
sensitivity and biological integrity of aquatic ecosystems. The appreciation of the
positive ecological values of Macrophytes has led to a better perception of their
diversity and role in natural ecosystem for their scientific management.
Aquatic macrophytes comprises of macroalgae of the divisions Chlorophyta
(green algae), Xanthophyta (yellow-green algae) and Rhodophyta (red algae) and
the “blue-green algae” (cyanobacteria); Bryophyta (mosses and liverworts); Pteridophyte (ferns); and Spermatophyta (seed-bearing plants). Aquatic plants are phylogenetically well dispersed across the angiosperms. Aquatic angiosperm is the
largest group and usually found in floating, emergent, submerged and wetland
condition. The colloquial examples of aquatic angiosperms include water lily,
water hyacinth, lotus, floating heart and so forth. Sea grasses such as Thalassia
and Zostera are only angiosperms capable of growing completely submerged in
seawater. The largest aquatic angiosperm is amazon water lily and smallest is the
minute duckweed (Table 15.1).
1.1.4 Free Floating Macrophytes
The Macrophytes generally remain in contact with air and water but not within the
contact of soil are known as free floating Macrophytes. They have ability to freely
float on the superficies of water due to the presence of aerenchymatous tissue. Well
developed stem, Co 2 and O 2 intake partly from air and water, presence of root hairs
lying at right angle to the axis of the main root and occurrence of heterophylly are
some common features of ecological interest of these plants. Wolffia, Lemna,
312
P. Parikh and K. Unadkat
leaves and free-floating hydrophytes in the study. When the data was compared with
earlier reports for the same wetlands, it showed that population of aquatic plants in
terms of diversity was declining in Vadodara region to the point of extinction and it
was recommended that these aquatic plants should be conserved to uphold the rich
biodiversity for Vadodara region for the welfare of humanity.
Saini and Kumar (2017) had stated that seasonal and monthly variation were
responsible for appearance and diversity of aquatic community of rainy water
wetlands of Yamuna Nagar, Haryana. They have recorded of 59 species belonging
to 37 families. Maximum number of species was recorded for family Poaceae and
the minimum for family Adiantaceae.
1.1.3 List of Commonly Occurring Aquatic Angiosperms
Aquatic plants are adapted to survive in freshwater or marine water environments.
Aquatic Macrophytes are various groups of aquatic plants which have substantial
size to be visible by naked eye. They either grow in or surrounding the water. Thus,
they are excellent indicator of frequently changing environmental condition of
aquatic body. Hence, composition of macrophytes community can reflect great
sensitivity and biological integrity of aquatic ecosystems. The appreciation of the
positive ecological values of Macrophytes has led to a better perception of their
diversity and role in natural ecosystem for their scientific management.
Aquatic macrophytes comprises of macroalgae of the divisions Chlorophyta
(green algae), Xanthophyta (yellow-green algae) and Rhodophyta (red algae) and
the “blue-green algae” (cyanobacteria); Bryophyta (mosses and liverworts); Pteridophyte (ferns); and Spermatophyta (seed-bearing plants). Aquatic plants are phylogenetically well dispersed across the angiosperms. Aquatic angiosperm is the
largest group and usually found in floating, emergent, submerged and wetland
condition. The colloquial examples of aquatic angiosperms include water lily,
water hyacinth, lotus, floating heart and so forth. Sea grasses such as Thalassia
and Zostera are only angiosperms capable of growing completely submerged in
seawater. The largest aquatic angiosperm is amazon water lily and smallest is the
minute duckweed (Table 15.1).
1.1.4 Free Floating Macrophytes
The Macrophytes generally remain in contact with air and water but not within the
contact of soil are known as free floating Macrophytes. They have ability to freely
float on the superficies of water due to the presence of aerenchymatous tissue. Well
developed stem, Co 2 and O 2 intake partly from air and water, presence of root hairs
lying at right angle to the axis of the main root and occurrence of heterophylly are
some common features of ecological interest of these plants. Wolffia, Lemna,
312
P. Parikh and K. Unadkat