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Water lilies
Algae
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Planktonic algae One extremely common water plant is algae. Algae can be found in almost any body of water in one form or another. Some algae is planktonic, or free floating, while other species will anchor themselves on rocks, plants or other stationery objects. Planktonic algae will generally color the water green when blooming and thrives in an environment that lacks oxygen and has an overabundant nutrients. Filamentous algae forms thick mats along the surface of the water. Chara is a type of algae that roots to the bottom of a still waterway. It is usually beneficial unless it floats to the top.
Submersed
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Flowering plants that are submersed will generally root to the bottom and grow completely under water, though a flower may emerge onto the surface. Submersed plants are usually identified by the leaf structure and arrangement on the stalk. Most have long, thin leaves that are attached in a variety of patterns to the stalk. It is the shape of the leaf itself that classify most of these plants. Common types of submersed plants are elodea, curly leaf pondweed and Sago pondweed.
Free Floating
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Free floating flowering plants mean that the plant does not root in the waterway and merely floats along the surface. Most of the individual plants are very small, but will reproduce quickly and mat together, forming thick barriers at the surface of the water. Examples of free floating aquatic plants are duckweed and watermeal.
Rooted Free Floating
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Water lilies Rooted floating plants are a hybrid between free floating plants and submersed plants in that rooted floating plants root to the bottom and emerge onto the surface, usually with wide, flat leaves that help them float. These plants are usually found in somewhat shallow water, no more than 4 to 5 feet deep. Examples of rooted floating plants are water lilies, American pondweed and spatterdock.
Marginal
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Cattails Marginal, or shoreline, plants are found along the rim of a body of water. This is a rooted type plant. However, unlike rooted floating plants, the majority of this plant is out of water, with only a portion of the roots being covered with water. This type of plant will generally be a blade leaf or broadleaf type of plant and can be quite dense. Examples of marginal plants include cattails, reeds and creeping water primrose.
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Aquatic Plant Identification
Aquatic plants are an essential part of any healthy body of water. It is important to understand how to identify many different types of water plants in an effort to maintain balance in water systems. All plants remove certain contaminants from water and add oxygen, but the overgrowth of certain plants can cause problems. Knowing how to identify common aquatic plants will ensure a healthy environment for all species that inhabit it. There are generally two types of aquatic plants, algae and flowering plants.