What adaptations has the water lily made in order to survive in its environment?

Question

I think this belongs here, but I'm not sure. Sorry if it doesn't!

Answer 1

Terrestrial plants such as trees have to develop an enormous quantity of structural material in order to rise above all the other plants and collect the lion's share of the light available. Water lilies provide a neat example of a plant which has managed to do exactly the same thing, but with the minimum of structural material. Weak stems produce a massive floating canopy of leaves which dominate the local aquatic plant community just as effectively as trees dominate in a woodland. The difference lies in their external medium. Water provides all the necessary support, whereas air does not.

Answer 2

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RE:
What adaptations has the water lily made in order to survive in its environment?
I think this belongs here, but I'm not sure. Sorry if it doesn't!

Answer 3

In addition to what Virginia said,

1. Water lily leaves have their stomata on the upper surface instead of the lower surface -- takes advantage of exposure of upper surface to the air. (Stomata are the pores in the leaf epidermis that allow exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen.)
2. Leaves lay out flat for maximum exposure to sunlight.

Answer 4

i would also mention aerenchyme - the tissue that has big intercellulars (spaces between cells) that provides air for the undewater parts of the plants. like if you make a crossection of leaf petiole (connects the leaf blade to the rhizome and roots) it feels like a fluffy sponge - full of air