Question

what is the most significant adaptation of hydrophytes?

Answer 1

Heya, here's ur answer........


Morphological adaptations

1.    Root system is poorly developed.

 2.    Roots of floating hydrophytes show very poor development of root hairs, absence of true root caps, with root pockets to protect their tips from injuries. (e.g. Eichhornia)

 

3.    Rooted hydrophytes like Hydrilla, Vallisnera, Elodia derive their nourishment through their body surfaces. More plants partly depend on their roots for the absorption of minerals from the soil. Roots are totally absent in Ceratophyllum, Salvinia, Azolla, Utricularia etc.,

 

4.    In Jussiaea repens two types of roots develop. Some of them are normal, while others are negatively geotropic, floating roots, spongy in nature and keep the plants afloat.


5.    In free floating hydrophytes, the stem is thick and short, floating on the surface of water (e.g.) Eichhornia.

 

6.    In Nymphaea and Nelumbium the stem is a rhizome. These rhizomes live for many years and produce leaves every year.

hope this helps u ☺

Answer 2

However, many hydrophytes have well developed root systems.
For example, Eichhornia and Pistia have well developed adventitious roots. In these free-floating rosette plants, the roots are at least partly responsible for preserving the stability of their rosette leaves.
The stem may be well developed (e.g., Ceratophyllum, Hydrilla), reduced (e.g. Wolffia ,Spirodela), or modified into rhizome (e.g., Vallisneria). Stem is spongy due to well developed aerenchyma. The spongy and elongated petioles of water hyacinth exhibit the development of so-called aerenchyma.
Many hydrophytes show heterophylly, i.e., production of different forms of leaves in the same plant. In submerged aquatics with free floating aerial leaves, the submerged leaves are generally linear, ribbon-shaped or finely dissected while the aerial leaves are complete and rounded or lobed.