What are underwater flowers called? Aquatic plants with floating leaves

From marine species - sea ruff - scorpion fish, etc. By the way, coral fish, painted to match the bright coral reefs surrounding them, also mimic these "hard" thickets.

Another important point is that aquatic plants are a source of food for many fish. Of course, we must make allowances for our climate, since in winter the amount of vegetation in many water bodies is sharply reduced and the fish must switch to other types of food. Such fish are called facultative phytophages (goldfish, bream, roach, etc.). For them, vegetation is not the main component of the diet, but a tasty and healthy addition to animal organisms.

Even by this food criterion alone, one can draw up a certain picture of underwater inhabitants. For example, if you find filamentous algae fouling on coastal stones, then you can count on a meeting with podust, khramul or roach. When you find planktonic algae in large numbers, then look for silver carp, the same roach and other cyprinids (this is from freshwater) and the Pacific sardine (marine species).

In some regions, well-developed higher aquatic vegetation makes it possible to locate grass carp and rudd. And some fish are very fond of the so-called plant detritus (bottom plant accumulations) - these are young lampreys, podusts, khramuli, marinka, ottomans, etc. By the way, it is very interesting that among marine fish there are much fewer phytophages than among freshwater ones, although in the sea in large quantities highly nutritious and tasty algae grow, which are often included in artificial feed when breeding fish of many species.

Of course, every medal has a downside. Sometimes higher and lower aquatic plants cause significant harm to water bodies and fish. First of all, it is the flowering of water. Sometimes reservoirs are overgrown with elodea, reed, burr, lake reeds, cattail, pondweed, horsetail. These plants simply physically displace fish from water bodies, violate the hydrochemical regime. Recently, this phenomenon has been combated, as with weeds on land plantations, using mechanical and chemical extermination of weeds. Processing of reservoirs is often carried out with the help of aviation.

In winter, fish in the middle zone have a very tense situation with oxygen, and not only because of the low temperature. Starting from mid-December, part of the aquatic plants of our reservoirs (weeds, egg-pods, elodea, water lilies, etc.) are already dying off, sinking to the bottom in huge quantities and, in the process of decay, absorb so much oxygen that there is little left for the fauna (fish and invertebrates).

Anglers should pay attention to how the aquatic plant relates to the ground. The vast majority of representatives of higher aquatic vegetation take root in the ground. These are pondweed, arrowhead, cattail, burr, reed, horsetail, urut and others. But in the reservoirs there are also free-floating (on the surface, sometimes in the water column), as well as plants with floating leaves (pistia, moss-fontinalis, water paint, marsh flower, water ranunculus, aloe-like telorez, duckweed one- and three-lobed, egg capsule, water lily, walnut water and others).

Many aquatic plants spend their entire life cycle in the water column. Representatives of this group occupy relatively deep places of the coastal zone, descending down to the border, where a sufficient amount of sunlight necessary for plant nutrition still falls. Of the representatives of this group in our waters, you can most often find water mosses, hornwort, hara, nitella.

The next group is plants that mostly live under water, but push flowers into the air. These are pemphigus, urt, pondweed, elodea, buttercup.

The third group is plants that raise their leaves to the surface of the water (water lily, buckwheat, duckweed).

And, finally, the fourth group is plants that expose more or less of their green stems and leaves above the surface of the water. This group includes horsetails, cattails, reeds, reeds, etc.

Coastal thickets of aquatic (and near-water) vegetation surround a wide continuous strip of the shores of lakes, ponds and rivers. Only very open shores of the leeward side of rivers and lakes are devoid of large aquatic plants. As a rule, various types of plants (submerged, or with floating leaves and stems, or rising above the water) are arranged in separate bands, grouping mainly depending on the depth and presence of current.

Thickets of aquatic iris, broad-leaved cattail, umbrella susak, branched burbur, succession, marsh calla, reeds, reeds, horsetails, etc. stretch over the water surface, forming a thick bristle of narrow, closely standing tall stems and linear leaves above the water surface. It is inconvenient for large and active fish to be among such "hard" vegetation, since, firstly, it is difficult to turn around, and secondly, the fish is often injured on the sharp edges of sedge, ponds, etc.

In addition to "hard" aquatic plants, in reservoirs there are also thickets of "soft" aquatic plants: pierced-leaved, comb-shaped, floating, curly, Canadian elodea, whorled urti, dark green hornwort. Such "soft" thickets also pose a danger to fish: juveniles and adults sometimes get entangled in the intricacies of leaves and stems. But on the other hand, near such "soft" thickets one can always find a huge number of juvenile fish, which, in turn, can feed on larger individuals. So if the angler notices branched bushes of such plants under water, he can safely expect fish in this place. If we move further to the central part of the reservoir, we will see that the "hard" vertical plants give way to a number of plants that do not rise above the water level, except for the flowering period. Their leaves either spread out on the water (water lily, arrowhead, etc.), or rise almost to the surface and are perfectly visible through a thin layer of water (elodea, myriophyllums, water mosses, etc.).

Next come those plants that huddle close to the bottom, and it is difficult to detect them, even bending over the water. Often, however, thickets of various types enter one another, mixed plant communities arise, and in connection with this, mixed biocenoses. In such places, a more diverse species composition of fish is observed. The species composition of thickets of aquatic plants can change significantly over time. This is due to the fact that plants deplete the soil, sucking out the salts they need from it, or release harmful substances into the soil (bottom of the reservoir), thereby stopping their further development and dying. In addition, changing weather and climatic conditions, anthropogenic impact on water bodies, etc., significantly affect the species composition of plants.

The fish of our reservoirs have a positive attitude towards most aquatic plants: sedge, water lily with a capsule, reeds, duckweed, etc. After all, plants are oxygen, food, shelter, and a substrate for caviar. The occurring facts of inadequate attitude of fish to seemingly favorite plants can be explained by various reasons. Aquatic plants are very sensitive to pollution. environment, and the poisoning of a reservoir, and, consequently, aquatic vegetation, imperceptible to humans, may well be felt by fish.

Tench and carp are very sensitive to secretions of aquatic plants, so you are unlikely to find these fish in thickets of arrowhead, hornwort or elodea. And other carp fish and pike, on the contrary, are very fond of the smell of arrowhead flowers. Arrowleaf flowers have three white, rounded petals, and their pedicels contain whitish milky juice, which attracts fish. After flowering, arrowhead shoots appear under water, nodules rich in starch and protein, which cyprinids eat with pleasure. By the way, there is 25% more starch in arrowhead tubers than in potato tubers!

	Near the shore, along the edge of aquatic vegetation, many small fish like to walk in flocks, which in turn are of interest to larger predators (for example, pikes). In heavily overgrown water bodies, fish are often found on the border of open water and thickets, and if aquatic plants are found only in small islands, then look for fish near them. it general rules, of which, of course, there are exceptions. Let's start with a well-known aquatic plant - reed. For fish, this is a truly terrible plant, but only in windy weather. During the wind, the reed, the stems of which are very stiff and resemble large straw, emits a strong crackle, rustle and rustle that scare away the fish. So there is almost no chance to find fish in a reservoir among reeds in windy weather. Exceptions are fish with poor hearing - for example, catfish, which in any weather, with any wind, can sit in the dense thickets of this plant. In our reservoirs, reed is found almost everywhere in places with a depth of up to 1.5 m.
	An interesting fact is that the author of the song "The reeds rustled, the trees bent ..." was absolutely botanically illiterate and confused reeds with reeds! It was the reeds that made noise, frightening the fish and the "beloved couple", and the reeds almost did not make noise in the wind. Reed is a good water filter, the spongy structure of its stems contributes to the delivery of oxygen to the root areas, at the same time enriching the bottom soil, which favorably affects the growth of other plants and the well-being of demersal fish species. For this reason, reeds are often used in artificial ponds where fish and aquatic plants are grown together. For the same reason, reed beds are often chosen by pike and other fish for spawning. In calm weather, among the thickets of reeds, you can find roach, carp, rudd, crucian carp, ide, perch, carp, tench and bream. These fish easily betray their presence among the stems when they make their way through them. Small and medium perches love sparsely growing reeds, their slowly swimming flocks move back and forth along the edge of coastal reed beds. A large perch is more likely to be found at the tip of capes of dense reeds (or reeds) protruding into the reservoir, especially if there is sufficient depth at the vegetation boundary.
	Unlike the "loud" reed, many species of fish prefer to be in the thickets of reeds. Dense reed beds provide excellent hiding places for prey fish and hunter fish. There are many different invertebrates that feed on carp, carp, crucian carp, bream, juvenile pike, perch and pike perch, as well as white bream, ruff, ide, dace and roach. Outwardly, the reed is easily recognizable - a long smooth dark green stem rises above the surface of the water, on which there are no leaves at all. From above, the reed stalk is thinner than from below, and the length of the "reed" can exceed 5 m! Botanists attribute reeds to the sedge family, although outwardly they do not look alike. Breaking the stalk of reeds, we see a porous mass (resembling yellowish foam), penetrated by a network of air channels that release a lot of oxygen into the water, thereby attracting fish and aquatic invertebrates. Usually reeds form dense thickets near the coast. Carp and carp love the juice of freshly cut reeds; by carefully placing several reed stalks in the water, you can attract these fish to the chosen place. You can find fish in the reeds by shuddering from time to time reeds or characteristic bursts of fish. It is useful to observe the behavior of birds. There is a saying: sandpipers - in the reeds, bream - to the bottom.
	Anglers often confuse cattail, or chakan, with reeds. This is a completely different plant, cattail has a rigid stem, on which wide and long leaves are located. This beauty is completed by a dark brown velvety cob with ripe seeds. Dried stalks of cattail with an ear are often placed at home in vases and then remembered about the catches. Cattail grows in places with a depth of up to 1.0-1.5 m. Most often it is found in small swampy reservoirs. Young tender tops of cattail leaves are eaten by crucian carp, tench, carp and roach. The leaves of a mature plant become coarse, except for cupid. On the other hand, pike likes to use cattail as a substrate for laying eggs, which can be found among both young and old cattail.
	Almost all of our fish avoid thickets of Canadian elodea, or, as it is also called, "water plague". Elodea acquired this name because of its ability to completely fill the reservoir, displacing and surviving all living things. Only grass carp willingly eats elodea leaves, and sometimes you can still meet pike before spawning.
	Water horsetails are plants that form many shoots and are prone to overgrowth. Among them, botanists distinguish several dozen species, but usually we are faced with marsh, silty or riverine. Outwardly, horsetail is a very characteristic plant: it has a cylindrical, rather thin, segmented stem, each segment of which is separated from the neighboring one by a ring of small cloves. Horsetails, like reeds, have hollow stems that accumulate oxygen and enrich water with it. This is especially true for fish in winter, in January - February. But be careful! Usually, the ice over a section of the reservoir where horsetails grow in winter is thin, and the angler runs the risk of swimming in such water.
	Another aquatic plant produces a large amount of oxygen. These are various pondweeds that grow at depths of 2 to 4 m. They cannot bring their leaves to the surface of the water; an attentive angler can see poorly visible flowers that look like small fir cones. All pondweeds are perennial plants. They perfectly endure the winter in our reservoirs, helping the fish survive oxygen starvation. Some pondweeds develop a long rhizome in the ground in winter, which gives new shoots in spring. Dead shoots of pondweed participate in the formation of bottom silt. Aquatic molluscs, insects and some fish species feed on pondweeds. Many fish use these plants as a substrate for spawning. One of the most common pondweeds - comb - outwardly differs from the rest: its stems are branched, and the leaves are thin and narrow. This pondweed is found in shallow water, its flexible stems meander and sway. Its thickets are often inhabited by schools of fry, which attract hungry adult fish. The next common species is the pierced-leaved pondweed. It is most common in our reservoirs, has long branched stems and rounded leaves, as if strung on a stem (hence the name). By the way, it is this pond that owners of water motor vehicles do not like so much - the plants are easily screwed onto the propellers of outboard motors and wound on oars. The tops of young leaves of almost all types of pondweeds are a favorite food for carp, roach, bream, ide, bleak, and carp. In addition to herbivorous fish, many animal-eating fish also graze around the ponds, as various invertebrates, insect larvae, mollusks and other aquatic organisms, which are attracted by the high oxygen content, live in the thickets.
	Another plant popular with our fish is urut. Hydrobotanists distinguish five of its types, among them the most common in our reservoirs are spiked urut and whorled urut. Spicy urut grows at depths of 0.3 to 2 m, and whorled urut grows at depths of 3-4 m. Urut thickets usually grow on silty soils and love calcium-rich water. When the calcium content in the water is high, the leaves of the uruthi become covered with a lime crust. Urut spiky is very sensitive to water temperature and less to light. Underwater meadows from uruti play a very important role in the life of the reservoir. In its thickets there are large accumulations of small invertebrates, which are food for many inhabitants of the reservoir. Flocks of perch and tench love to pluck the leaves of the plant from invertebrates, and the urut itself is an excellent addition to the diet for bream, large roach, ide and other fish. In addition, the urut serves as a substrate for fish eggs and a refuge for the entire animal population of the reservoir, especially for fry. In many water bodies, pike use uruti thickets for ambush.
Water lily (Water lily)
	Water lily is a floating plant, which is often called the "water queen", because it is one of the most beautiful and largest flowers of our strip. These plants belong to the genus of water lilies, or nymphaeum, which has about 40 plant species. Sometimes it is called a water lily. Water lilies are extraordinary plants in many ways. They live both in very warm and through freezing water bodies and are distributed almost everywhere: from the forest tundra to the southern tip of the American continent. These amphibious plants are able to live (give leaves, bloom and bear fruit) both in water and on land (if the water level in the reservoir has dropped significantly). Fish highly appreciate both the aromatic qualities of the water lily (many fish are attracted by the smell of its flowers), and the edible ones. By the way, water lily seeds are spread over long distances by fish and birds. The water lily grows at depths of 2.5-3 m, but now this wonderful plant can be found less and less in our reservoirs, and it is listed in the Red Book. Thickets of water lilies in closed reservoirs like carp, carp, crucian carp, roach, bream, tench, perch (small), in rivers - rudd, bleak, ide, pike, roach. The diet of cyprinids includes only the youngest tender leaves, as well as water lily rhizomes, which contain a lot of starch, sugar and vegetable protein. Often thickets of water lilies are scattered in spots along the coastal strip behind the belt of cattail cattail and lake reed. An interesting fact is that water lilies rise to the surface of the water strictly at six o'clock in the morning, open their inflorescences, and close strictly at six in the evening and again go under water. But this applies only to ideal weather, and as soon as bad weather approaches, water lily flowers, regardless of time, go under water, or on such days they are not shown at all. For anglers, the absence of water lily flowers on the surface is a highly visible sign of changing weather.
	Many people confuse the white water lily and the yellow water lily. The yellow capsule grows at depths of 2.5-3 m and is a characteristic plant of floodplain reservoirs. Carp, roach, crucian carp, carp, bream, pike perch, ruff, tench, bleak, ide, bream, small perch, pike, roach, grass carp and even eel (artificially launched, on Lake Seliger, he chose its thickets) . The diet of many cyprinids includes only the most tender young leaves (as in the water lily). Old leaves become tough, rough and unsuitable for fish, but tiny snails and small leeches love to settle on the underside, which are excellent food. Plants can not only injure fish with their sharp edges, but also harm fish at night or in winter (with short daylight hours) because in the dark they absorb oxygen and emit carbon dioxide harmful to fish. Plants are characterized by the process of photosynthesis, which consists of two phases. During the day (in the light), plants actively absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen in an incomparably greater amount than they consume during respiration, that is, they enrich the water with it. In the dark, the absorption of carbon dioxide by plants stops, and they only consume oxygen, which becomes less and less in the water. With the rapid growth of aquatic vegetation and high temperature water in small lakes, fish can die at night, but even if it does not occur, the activity of searching for food in fish decreases sharply. With the beginning of the light phase, aquatic plants vigorously absorb carbon dioxide and process it into a green mass. An intensive release of oxygen begins, and the feeding activity of the fish is restored. By noon, the process of photosynthesis slows down, there is less oxygen in the water, and the fish are less active. For this reason, the feeding activity of fish in the daytime is reduced compared to dawns: the fish are already satiated. In addition, in winter, at any time of the day, dead plants rot under the ice, absorbing oxygen, especially in stagnant water bodies. It is in these places that the mass death of fish occurs.
The duckweed needs no special introduction. Everyone who has been near lakes, ponds or old ditches with water in the summer has seen this plant, covering the surface of the water with a dense emerald carpet. Several types of duckweed, which are members of the duckweed family, are widespread throughout the world, including Russia. These are small plants floating on the surface or in the water column, consisting of fronds - leaf-shaped stems, fastened several pieces together, from which a single short thread-like root extends. At the base of the leaf there is a lateral pocket in which a tiny inflorescence can develop, consisting of two staminate and one pistillate flowers. In natural reservoirs, duckweeds rarely bloom. Flowers have a simple structure: stamens consist of only one stamen, and pistils have one pistil; there are no petals or sepals in such flowers. During the warm period of time, the plant reproduces vegetatively, with the help of young fronds that separate from the mother plant. Duckweed winters in the form of buds, sinking to the bottom along with a dead plant. Usually there are two types of duckweed Small duckweed (L. minor) - see picture on the left and Three-lobed duckweed (L. trisulca) - see picture on the right. Lesser duckweed inhabits many water bodies and multiplies extremely rapidly. The most common pond plant with flat elliptical leaves 3-4.5 mm long, floating on the surface of the water. Three-lobed duckweed grows relatively weakly, lives in the water column and rises to the surface during flowering. Differs in green translucent spoon-shaped leaves 5-10 mm long. The fronds are interconnected for a long time, forming balls floating in the water column and floating to the surface during flowering. Duckweed strongly branches and forms a blanket of small bright green leaves with one root at the bottom on the surface of the water. Very rarely flowers appear in May-June. Multi-rooted duckweed, or ordinary multi-rooted duckweed - Lemna rolurhyza \u003d Spirodela rolurhyza The multi-rooted duckweed is not very common in the same reservoirs where two types of duckweed grow abundantly. From the underside of each stalk, which has a rounded ovoid shape, a bunch of reddish or white roots departs. Blooms rarely in May-June. The upper side of the leaf blade is dark green in color, with clearly visible arcuate veins, and the lower side, immersed in water, is purple-purple. Plate up to 6 mm in diameter. All these types of duckweed are cold-resistant and photophilous. They live in ponds with stagnant or slowly flowing water. When caring for a reservoir, it is necessary to constantly catch a part of the population or, by cleaning the water, create conditions that are not conducive to rapid growth. Reproduction is mainly vegetative and very fast. Each stalk, similar to a small leaf, buds off rather quickly new and new parts of the stalks, which, still having a connection with the main stalks, give rise to new young plants. Species with individuals floating on the surface of the water can completely “drag out” a small reservoir in a short time. Duckweed duckweed and multi-rooted duckweed are especially aggressive. These plants are rarely deliberately introduced into the reservoir. More often they get there with the help of birds, frogs, newts and when transplanting other plants. It is difficult to completely get rid of duckweed, but its numbers can be limited by driving the plants to one place with a net or a jet of water from a garden hose, and then catching them with the same net. The extracted mass can be used for compost production and as bird feed. These plants clean water from carbon dioxide and supply oxygen, serve as food for fish and protection from sunlight. But despite this, you should never deliberately introduce duckweed into the reservoir, because once it has appeared in your pond, it will be almost impossible to eradicate it. Also, be careful when bringing other plants into the pond - make sure that there are no duckweeds on the plant itself and in the water.

Material taken from the site:

In reservoirs, both natural and artificial, it is quite common to find aquatic plants in which leaves of various shapes and sizes float on the surface of the water. Under the rays of the sun on the water surface of the reservoir, they form a colorful mosaic carpet. These plants include:

• Water lily, Nymphaeum (white water lily);
• Water lily small, tetrahedral;
• Pod grass-like or multi-leaved;

These, in addition to Chastukha, Olysma and Euryale are awesome, having thick, massive rhizomes containing highly nutritious substances, grow mainly in frost-free areas of reservoirs. Therefore, they are throughout the year a valuable nutritious food for small animals: muskrat, beaver, muskrat, water rat.

In addition, capsules and water lilies take root well at the bottom of reservoirs. These plants growing in them can be judged by the depth of water bodies. So, the egg capsule takes root at a depth of a reservoir up to 2.5 m; water lily - up to 2 m. artificial reservoirs for growing water lilies, the depth can be 75-100 cm.

The Water Lily family is common in the water bodies of Asia, Africa, the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere at a depth of 30-90 cm. This is water herbaceous plant, has reddish stems, a powerful rhizome, the thickness of which is 5-8 cm, length is about 1 m, greenish above, whitish below.

From the rhizome, located at the bottom of the reservoir, the petioles of the leaves and pedicels of the Yellow Caps grow. In winter, it stores the reserves of nutrients necessary for the formation of leaves and flowers of this plant for the next year. In addition, the rhizome, like other parts of the yellow capsule, has air channels through which the oxygen necessary for breathing enters the underwater organs of the plant.

The leaves of the yellow capsule are of two types: underwater - translucent, wavy along the edge, heart-shaped arrow-shaped. Floating on the water surface - entire leaves of aquatic plants with trihedral long petioles of dark green color, shiny, leathery, dense, 20 cm long.

Single flowers are arranged on long stalks, fragrant, and thanks to nectar, attract numerous six-legged pollinators. beautiful flowers bright yellow, up to 6 cm in diameter, close at night, but remain on the surface of the reservoir. The plant blooms in June-July.

The fruit is a fleshy multi-seeded, ovoid-conical pitcher. Propagated yellow capsule by seeds and vegetatively. It grows well on silty or on soil containing a mixture of peat, humus, clay soil. Plants prefer a well-warmed, sunny location of the reservoir. It should be noted that the yellow capsule must be protected, since intensive collection of its beautiful flowers brings great harm to it. So, in many reservoirs, the hollow disappearance of this colorful plant was observed.

The Water Lily family is common in water bodies of the forest zone from Western to Eastern regions of Russia at a depth of 0.5-1.5 m. This aquatic herbaceous plant is much smaller in size than the Yellow Capsule, the rhizome of which is about 1 cm. The leaves are emersed, oblong-ovate, floating , rise above the water, rather pubescent below. The length of the leaves is 15 cm, the width is 11 cm. The flowers are small, the diameter of which is 2-3 cm, with golden yellow petals.

Propagated by seeds and vegetatively. It grows well on soils containing a mixture of peat, humus and clay soil. Old and extra leaves are recommended to be removed so that the water mirror in the pond is ¾ or 2/3 free. Small capsule is widely distributed due to the fact that it grows both in stagnant and slow-flowing waters, and in fast-flowing rivers.

Despite the fact that this plant contains poisonous substances (alkaloids, nymphein and nyufarina), many wild animals, such as elk, water rat, muskrat, beaver and even bear and otter feed on this plant. Waterfowl also like to feast on the seeds of small capsules. In America, the small egg-pod is considered a highly nutritious food and protective plant for some valuable fish species.

Family Water lilies, common in Europe and the Caucasus. It is believed that water lilies appeared in the water bodies of the Earth much earlier than the egg capsules, that is, during the Paleocene period (about 60 million years ago). This is a perennial herbaceous stemless plant with a rather thick rhizome lying at the bottom of the reservoir. The rhizome is dark brown in color, covered with the remains of leaf petioles; leaves of aquatic plants are floating, on the water surface, large, round-oval, glossy. Leaves are dark green above and reddish purple below.

Flowers solitary, tender, white color, whose diameter is 10-12 cm with a pleasant delicate aroma, located on long pedicels. The flowers have numerous petals, which are directed in different directions, and, as it were, cover each other. Therefore, the flower itself looks like a white, rather lush rose. The plant blooms from late May to August.

In the morning, at about 8 o'clock, this aquatic herbaceous plant releases its flowers on the water surface, which open under the rays of the sun. At the fifth or sixth hour of the evening, the flowers fold their petals and fall under the water. In rainy and cloudy weather, the flowers of this plant do not rise to the water surface at all.

The fruit of the Water Lily is a fleshy multi-seeded, has the shape of a wide vessel. The plant reproduces by seeds and vegetatively. The water lily is unpretentious to soils, therefore its dense thickets are found on silty, clay, sandy, peat lands. For its cultivation in artificial reservoirs, a thick layer of silt or nutritious clay soil is poured onto the bottom.

The plant is not demanding to light, so its thickets can develop well in the shade of tall air-water plants. It is especially worth noting that the Water Lily, Nymphaeum is very sensitive to injury, so these beautiful flowers should not be plucked. The plant may die and disappear forever from water bodies.

The Kuvshinkov family is distributed in the forest zone of North-Eastern Europe, Siberia, the Far East and North America. The differences that water lilies have are small water lilies - floating leaves and flowers (whose diameter is 4-6 cm) are much smaller than those of Nymphea water lilies, the rhizome is much thinner.

However, the feeding value of this plant for small animals is great, since it grows precisely in the northern regions where the Nymphaeum water lily cannot grow.

Varieties of water lilies are also known: Pure white water lily (pure white flowers, diameter 6-10 cm); Water lily pink (pink flowers, 10-15 cm in diameter).

Rogulnikov family, distributed in the south of Europe, in the south of Siberia, on Far East. This annual herbaceous aquatic plant has a long underwater stem, on the lower nodes of which there are filiform roots that attach the water chestnut to the ground.

Leaves - in a rosette, floating, broadly rhombic, 3-4 cm long, 3-4.5 cm wide, pubescent below. Petioles have an oblong-elliptical swelling filled with air-bearing tissue of various lengths. This creates good lighting for each sheet.

The flowers are small, white, located one by one on thin pedicels in the axils of the leaves. Flowers develop under water, they are brought to the water surface by pedicels, which are covered with upward curved hairs. The flowers open in the morning, for several hours, close by noon and go under water. The plant blooms in May-June. The fruit is a nut with a conical base and four powerful, pairwise-opposite horns. The fruits are well preserved in the silt, even for ten years, without losing their germination.

The plant reproduces vegetatively. In order to grow this family of aquatic plants, the muddy soil of the reservoir is necessary. Very sensitive to the composition of water. So, if it contains even one percent of sodium chloride and calcium salts, the plant dies. Walnut fruits are highly nutritious food for muskrat, river beaver, geese, ducks.

The local population consumes it as a delicacy. The water chestnut is interesting in that sometimes for a while it can turn into: this happens when the water level in the reservoir can rise sharply so that the stem of the plant cannot reach the bottom of the reservoir. However, if the water in the reservoir subsides or, like a free-floating plant, the water chestnut swims to shallow water, its stem will take root again in the soil of the bottom of the reservoir. Recently, the water chestnut is found less and less every year, therefore it is subject to protection. Listed in the Red Book.

Family Rdestovye, distributed in the lakes of Western Siberia. It is a rhizomatous, fast growing plant. It has two types of leaves: floating and underwater. Floating - wide oval, greenish, with a wax coating, which are well kept on the water surface due to the presence of air-bearing tissue and channels in them.

The underwater leaves of aquatic plants are narrow-lanceolate, rather densely covering the stem submerged in water. They die off long before the plant begins to bloom. Flowers are small, Pink colour, collected in inflorescences in the form of an ear, rise above the water surface. The plant blooms in June-July.

The fruit is an obovate nut with a short nose. Seeds ripen in late July-August. Propagated by seeds and vegetatively. It is not picky about soils, it grows well on silty, clay, sandy soils. Wintering is Pdest floating at the bottom of reservoirs, the depth of which is from 0.5 to 2 m. At this time, “dormant” buds are formed.

Wintering buds and rhizomes are highly nutritious food, especially in the ice period for small animals: muskrat, beaver, water rat. Its dense thickets serve as a good place for spawning of many, including valuable species of fish. Tuberous thickenings of rhizomes in baked form can also be used as human food. The features of this plant are that it enriches the water of the reservoir with oxygen, and can also be used as a good fertilizer.

Family Pdestaceae, distributed in the temperate zone of Eurasia and North America. This perennial rhizomatous plant has thin, strongly branched stems. Leaves of two types: underwater and floating. Underwater - numerous, lanceolate, translucent, form the main vegetative mass. Grassy pondweed - aquatic plants with floating leaves, in shape and structure, which resemble the leaves of floating pondweed.

The flowers are small, inconspicuous, collected in inflorescences - a thick ear. The fruits are spike-shaped, with a short beak. Grassy pondweed, like floating pondweed, hibernates at the bottom of reservoirs. In summer it is a favorite food for all aquatic animals and waterfowl. In winter - for animals in non-freezing areas of water bodies.

Grass-like pondweed is a very variable species of pondweeds. So, with an increase in the water level in reservoirs, which leads to the deepening of the plant, its floating leaves die. When the reservoir dries up, the plant can take on a terrestrial form with leathery leaves narrowed into petioles.

Chastukhovye family, distributed in the European part of Russia, the stern of the Arctic. It is a perennial aquatic plant with a thick, large tuberous rhizome. It has thick, erect stems, much longer than the leaves. The leaves of Chastukha are of two types: floating and surface.

Floating - lower, wide-line, pure green. Emersed - large, ovoid or broadly ovate, located on long petioles, also pure green. The flowers are small, up to 1 cm in diameter, whitish-pink or pale lilac in color, collected in graceful pyramidal panicles.

The flowers are located on stems, the height of which is about 0.7 m. The plant blooms in June-August. Propagated by seeds and vegetatively. The plant is poisonous when fresh and harmful to livestock, but when dried, the toxicity disappears. The plant is very decorative; from dry inflorescences make up winter bouquets. And it can also be a beautiful addition to floating plants in the design of reservoirs.

The Water Lily family is common in the Ussuri Territory, India, Japan, and China. It is an annual, stemless aquatic plant. The leaves are long-leaved, arrow-shaped in a young plant. At a later time, they are round-oval, leathery, reaching 130 cm in diameter. The underside of the leaves of aquatic plants is slightly pubescent, purple-purple in color; upper - green, naked. It has strongly protruding veins, on which numerous spikes are located.

The plant is remarkable in that its leaves have numerous bulges. Air bubbles accumulate under them, thanks to which the floating plants of Euryale are held on the surface of the water surface of the reservoir.

The flowers are large, blue-violet in color with a reddish core, located on thin peduncles. Flowers and peduncles are covered with spines, bent down. The plant blooms in the second half of summer. The fruits are round, dark purple in color, weighing up to 200 g, covered with powerful spikes. The seeds are black, spherical in shape, covered with sticky mucus, ripen in September-October.

Euryale is propagated by frightening seeds. Every year the plant produces abundant, flat, spiny foliage. This original, photophilous plant is sown in reservoirs of the southern regions of the countries indicated above.

Seed propagation of aquatic plants with floating leaves

Seeds are used to propagate capsules, pondweeds, water lilies, Chastukha, Alysma, Euryalu. Fruits of egg capsules and spikelets of Rdest, which float on the surface of water bodies, are collected from the boat by hand in late August - early September, tearing them off the pedicels.

Water lily fruits that are under water are cut off with a hook. The collected fruits and spikelets are placed on the bottom of the boat, covered with wet moss or damp burlap to prevent them from drying out. They are then placed in baskets or boxes with holes and dipped in water to ripen. After 7-12 days, the seeds of these plants are completely freed from the shells of the fruits, from the spikelets, from the mucus, that is, they are ready for sowing.

Seeds of pods and water lilies scatter from a boat or from the shore. They descend on the muddy soil of a pre-surveyed reservoir. Seedlings appear next spring, and a year later the plants bloom.

Seeds of Rdestov are rolled into lumps of clay and lowered into clay soil, the layer of which is 10-15 cm, to a depth of 40-90 cm; on clay - with sand content, to a depth of 30-90 cm.

Seeds of Chastukha, Alysma sown during the summer in open water, silty soil to a depth of 7-10 cm.

Euryal seeds frighteningly freed from the shells of fruits and mucus, they are sown in the muddy soil of a reservoir with a depth of up to 1.3 m.

Water chestnut is propagated by fruits , one plant of which produces 10-15 fruits. During harvesting, its fruits are placed in damp moss to protect them from drying out, since dry fruits completely lose their germination capacity. It has been noticed that in the silt the fruits of the water chestnut can be preserved up to 10 years, while germination is not lost. The fruits of the water chestnut are planted in shallow, sun-warmed reservoirs with silty soil to a depth of 0.6-1 m.

Vegetative propagation of aquatic plants with floating leaves

In a vegetative way, that is, by dividing the rhizomes, the capsules, water lilies, pondweeds, Chastukha, Alisma are propagated. To do this, the rhizomes of these plants from the bottom of the reservoirs, from the boat are hooked with a hook and removed to the surface. Then they are cut with a knife into cuttings 20-25 cm long so that each cutting contains buds (“eyes”) and root bundles. Having tied a load to the cuttings (it can be gravel, gravel, pieces of brick), they are immersed in the water of the reservoir. In this case, the cuttings of rhizomes should remain on the surface of the soil.

Shanks of capsules and water lilies planted in the muddy soil of the reservoir to a depth of 0.6-1.2 m. in natural - to a depth of 15 cm. It should be noted that for planting cuttings of the rhizomes of these plants, you can use the West thermal season. However, the best time is spring and the first half of summer.

Legends and sayings about capsules and water lilies

Legend 1 (about the white water lily). scientific name of the Kuvshinkov family (Nymph) was apparently given in honor of the beautiful white-faced young Nymph with a shock of golden hair, living in a forest lake. At night, sinking to the bottom of the lake, she slept peacefully. And in the morning, having risen to the surface of the water, she washed herself with dew from coastal plants. Her life flowed calmly surrounded by dryads and naiads in the midst of picturesque nature.

But one day, on the shore of the lake, she saw the then young Hercules. Sleep and peace left her, she stopped sinking to the bottom of the lake, meeting with her girlfriends - she was still waiting for the return of Hercules. But he didn't come back. Life was slowly leaving the beautiful Nymph, and this legend about the white water lily says that it soon turned into a snow-white flower with golden stamens. Every morning the flower opened on the surface of the lake, as if waiting and hoping to see Hercules again.

Legend 2 (about Mermaids and Water Lilies). Apparently, the myths about Mermaids appeared among the Slavs because of the ability of water lily flowers to sink into water. These pale-faced, slender beauties loved on moonlit nights, sitting on stones, stumps on the shores of a forest lake, combing their long flowing, moonlit hair. And when they saw random belated travelers, they caught them and dragged them into their water kingdom.

Legend 3 (Water lilies - amulets). The water lily (white water lily) was called in ancient Rus' Odolen-grass. It was believed that she was able to protect people traveling to distant lands. Therefore, a piece of its rhizome was put into an amulet and worn as an amulet. They also believed that the shepherd should wear its root so that his flock does not scatter. There was also a belief: "whoever begins to dislike you, and you want to dry him out, let the root eat."

Legend 4 (love story of the Water King and Princess Nymph). Admiring the capsules and water lilies, people composed legends about the origin of these amazingly beautiful plants. So, one Italian legend about the Water Lily says ......

Among the picturesque hills covered with flowers, in the foothills of the Alps, there is a blue-blue lake. During the day, under the rays of the sun, many different species of fish splashed in its water. And when the stars lit up in the sky, and the Moon appeared, the lunar path ran along the water surface of the lake; in this lake lived the Water King.

Not far from the lake, on one of the hills, stood a magnificent old castle. Beautiful towers, turrets, spiers of this castle were reflected in the water of this lake. Many generations have changed in this castle during the life of the water king. But one day he saw a young beautiful girl with golden, lush hair, with eyes bluer than the waters of the lake, skin whiter than the snowy mountains.

It was Nymphi, the daughter of the owner of the castle. Seeing her, the Water King felt his loneliness for the first time. But how do you get close to her? After all, only a light small cloud of gray fog could cling to the windows of the castle - this was his real appearance. And he could only move into a snag or a dead one. One day he heard that a ball was being prepared in the castle, at which Nymphia was to choose a groom.

On that day, clinging to the windows of the castle, he looked with longing as the elegant guests who arrived had fun, danced - music was playing in the castle. And when dusk came, he saw that a strange horseman had appeared on the road to the castle. He was sitting on a horse, for some reason back to front, muttering something indistinctly. True, he was young and handsome, rather elegantly dressed, and his horse was thoroughbred. When the rider, having driven the spur into the horse, made him soar, the horse threw him to the ground. The young man groaned, but soon subsided.

The water king felt sorry for this man, he leaned over him. A few moments later, a young, handsome Stranger entered the castle hall. The music stopped instantly, and the room fell silent. And suddenly his ironic imperious voice was heard: “why is the music not playing?”. And the musicians, without even asking the permission of the owner of the castle, began to play.

The guests made way for the stranger as he went to invite the Nymphs to the dance. All evening they danced alone, no one dared to enter the circle. “I will show you the whole world,” the Stranger whispered to the charming Nymph. Further, this legend about the Water Lily says that in the morning both disappeared, and no one ever saw them again. And on the blue-blue lake, from time to time, capsules and water lilies began to appear. The locals said that it was the Water King and the Nymphs who visited this lake again.

Swamp plants are used for landscaping areas with high levels of moisture and soil acidity. Usually they are used in lowlands and along wetlands to form landscape design. See swamp plants in the photo and read brief characteristics each species in this review. This will allow you to choose the appropriate types for landscaping your territory. The names and photos of marsh plants are given in alphabetical order for ease of information retrieval.

The roots of these plants should be located near the shore, in the ground under water, most of the plant itself is above the surface of the water, in the air. These shallow water plants soften the boundary between water and shore, their flowers and leaves adorn the pond and stream. There are many such plants, depending on the type, they are planted in water to a depth of 15-30 cm on a terrace in a pond or in shallow water. Their roots are located either in a basket or directly in the ground. Let's list some of them.

Calamus marsh (Acorus calamus) and his photo

calamus marsh (Acorus calamus)- this is a frost-resistant herbaceous perennial that looks like an iris, its height is up to 1 m, the leaves are xiphoid, pointed. An interesting variety "Variegata" with longitudinal cream stripes on the leaves, it reaches a height of 60-80 cm and is quite frost-resistant in the conditions of the Moscow region. Calamus grows well at a depth of 8-15 cm in the sun and in the shade, perfectly cleans the water.

Look at the photo calamus marsh and options for its use:

Photo gallery

Marsh calla (Calla palustris) and its photo

Marsh calla (Calla palustris)- This is a low perennial with a height of 15-20 cm, it is interesting for large white flowers with a yellow cob, appearing from mid-May to the end of June. By the end of summer bright red fruits are formed. It is planted to a depth of 5-10 cm, it improves water quality. If planted in a sunny position in calm water, its shiny heart-shaped leaves up to 20 cm wide will eventually completely cover the shore of the pond, the plant forms a dense carpet, grows quickly, but is easily controlled.

This effect is well demonstrated by photos of the marsh calla, which can be seen below:

Photo gallery

Mannik (Glyceria) and his photo

Variety of manna large, or water (G. maxima), "Variegata" with yellowish longitudinal stripes on the leaves reaches a height of 50-60 cm. It grows well in partial shade, takes root quickly, and is characterized by aggressive growth. In waterlogged places and shallow water at a depth of up to 15 cm, it forms lush curtains, but it also grows well in dry areas. If you started this plant in some place in the garden, it will be difficult to completely destroy it. If you simply throw a piece of the root into a natural reservoir, a huge, beautiful, abundantly flowering curtain grows. In an artificial pond, plant only in a container.

See examples of using manna in the photo of the plots:

Photo gallery

In addition to limiting growth and keeping within certain limits, variegated glyceria does not require care. It is good for decorating the coastal zone of a reservoir and a swamp. Although the glyceria is an aggressor, the aggressor is very decorative, do not drive it out of the garden, just think in advance how to tame it.

Iris marsh (Iris pseudacorus) and his photo

This is the most unpretentious of all irises, growing in humid places in our strip, with powerful belt-like vertical leaves up to 1.2 m tall and abundant flowering. Of particular note is the form of the swamp iris with white flowers, as well as the variety with double flowers. The variegated form of marsh iris "Variegata" is elegant, only 60-70 cm high, in spring the leaves of this variety are white-green, in summer they turn completely green. Feels great in the sun and in the shade. Planting depth in water 5-25 cm.

Photo gallery

Marsh marigold (Сaltha palustris) and its photo

Perennial plant, forming loose bushes up to 40 cm tall, with leathery, shiny, rounded leaves. It blooms from the end of April for 20 days with golden yellow flowers up to 4.5 cm in diameter. Prefers highly moist places, can grow in dry places with abundant watering. planted to a depth of 5 cm.

The species plant is also attractive, but garden forms with white flowers and double yellow flowers are especially good.

This is one of the earliest flowering coastal plants, as evidenced by photos of marigold marigold:

Photo gallery

Arrowhead ordinary (Sagittaria sagittifolia) and his photo

So named for the above-water arrow-shaped leaves. It is planted at a depth of 8-12 cm. It blooms in June-August, on a trihedral peduncle there are whorls with three flowers, each of which has three white petals with a raspberry speck and three sepals.

Known Variety "Flore Pleno" with double flowers, wintering without problems in the conditions of the Moscow region.

Photos of the common arrowhead amaze with the beauty of this plant:

Photo gallery

Susak umbrella (Butomus umbellatus) and his photo

This is one of the most attractive flowering aquatic plants. Long narrow leaves have a triangular cross-section. Peduncles without leaves 0.7-1.2 m high crowned with an umbrella of 20-30 pink flowers up to 2.5 cm in diameter. Flowers bloom non-simultaneously, in each umbrella there are buds, and just opened, and already withered flowers. In the center of the flower are bright crimson pistils and stamens. During flowering, susak is very decorative; it blooms in June - August.

Planted to a depth of 8-10 cm, but the plant can also grow in swampy soil along the banks of the pond. The best place for planting - sunny, with nutritious soil. Once every two or three years, the plant is divided, otherwise the quality of flowering deteriorates.

A properly grown common arrowhead in the photo allows you to evaluate the power of this plant:

Photo gallery

Common reed (Phragmites australis) and its photo

A perennial species plant up to 4 m high, with long and thick, creeping rhizomes and erect stems with numerous nodes, too large for a garden pond. It forms thickets in damp places and along the banks of natural reservoirs. The leaves of the species plant are grayish-green, hard, elongated, wide. The inflorescence is a large panicle with many individual brown-violet or yellowish small spikelets. Blooms in July - August.

Effective Variety "Variegatus" only 1.5 m high with bright leaves with yellow longitudinal stripes. It grows well in shallow water bodies and marshy soils, and tolerates dry conditions, but grows much weaker. Prefers open, sunny places. Aggressive, requires limiting the area of ​​growth, cannot be planted in water bodies with a film coating, its rhizomes easily pierce the film. It can be submerged in water up to 50 cm, but it also thrives on the shore.

Various types of common reed in the photo demonstrate the possibilities of their application:

Photo gallery

Chastuha plantain (Alisma plantago-aquatica) and her photo

An aquatic plant with ovate leaves, blooms in July-August with pale pink flowers collected in a large pyramidal panicle up to 70 cm high. damp places and on the banks of reservoirs at a depth of 5-15 cm. It looks better in reservoirs decorated in a natural style.

All over the world there are thousands of rivers, lakes and swamps, the vegetation in which impresses with its diversity. At the same time, some plants can exist not only above the surface of the water, but also below it. All freshwater plants are unique, but despite the fact that most of them still tend to grow in certain types of water, there are also varieties that feel great in any fresh water.

An example is an ordinary shamrock, which is a valuable medicinal plant. Its petioles begin to grow directly from the root, while each of them is crowned with three large leaves. At the same time, the leaves are completely absent on the stem itself, but its top is crowned with a brush of small pale pink, almost white flowers, resembling stars in their shape.

The most common plants in freshwater

Plants of fresh water bodies, whose names are indicated in this article, grow almost everywhere, but they have many individual characteristics. As an example, we can cite plants that can be seen almost everywhere where there is fresh water - these are reeds, cattails and reeds.

They like to grow in thickets and have many similar features, due to which they are often confused with each other, although they belong to different families. First of all, these are the stems, which in these plants are tall and straight. In some cases, they can even reach 6-9 meters, but this is where their similarity ends. In reeds, there are practically no leaves on the stem; in cattail, the leaves begin to twist in a helical shape already from the base. In addition, the cob of cattail is long and velvety, in contrast to the reed, which is characterized by a fluffy panicle.

Practical benefits

For plants such as reeds, cattails and reeds, accelerated growth is characteristic, due to which their number increases so much that they completely capture significant water areas, gradually devastating them. Largely due to the fact that since ancient times people have adapted the plants of fresh water bodies for various household needs, in particular, for covering roofs, weaving baskets, bags, mats and even ropes, fresh water sources practically do not dry up. The remaining plants simply do not have time to absorb all the moisture and dry up the source.

marshland

In order to find out which fresh water plants are typical for your area, it is enough to carefully study the sources closest to you. For example, the swampy area has received the greatest distribution, which has more than 1000 different species around the world. Nevertheless, in the structure of each of them there are similar features, among which is a trihedral stem with a dense structure, while long, grooved leaves, pointed at the end, depart from each face. A similar leaf structure can be observed in most cereal crops.

The second most common and most similar in appearance to the sedge plant is the rush. It also grows in swamps, however, for this grass, unlike sedge, it is characteristically round. In addition, due to the fact that the stem of the rush is thinner and branches, the leaves, while maintaining a similar structure, are still much narrower than those of sedge and, seeing these two plants side by side, it will be quite difficult to confuse them in the future.

Rivers and lakes

Plants of fresh water bodies, which are characteristic of river and lake areas, are primarily noticeable on the banks. First of all, this is typical for the flowers of the iris, outwardly similar to the usual garden iris. In addition to them, the no less common plakun-grass can grow in the coastal zone, whose purple inflorescences, resembling an ear, immediately catch the eye. Its leaves are similar to willow, but they are characterized by special slots, thanks to which the excess moisture that the plant absorbs is easily removed to the outside.

Poisonous representatives

However, it should be borne in mind that not all plants of fresh water bodies are harmless, because among them there are also poisonous representatives, among which the most common are chastuha and arrowhead. Moreover, the appearance of their leaves is directly related to their habitat. In the event that these plants grow immersed in water, the leaves will resemble ribbons in their shape. If they are located on the surface of the water, then they are held on it with the help of an underwater petiole and a special floating plate. In addition, while on the surface, the leaves of the arrowhead take the form of arrows and begin to fully correspond to their name. Unlike chastukha, which is completely poisonous, people have adapted arrowhead tubers for food.

Plants of freshwater reservoirs, characteristic of the swampy area, are buttercups, which also differ in which they can be both floating and located under water. At the same time, despite the fact that they can be found in other freshwater sources, all buttercups, without exception, are poisonous plants. The most dangerous for humans are:

• ranunculus is poisonous;
• ranunculus-pimple - forms abscesses on the skin.

In addition, one of the most poisonous plants of modern flora, hemlock, which grows exclusively in swampy areas, can be attributed to the category of poisonous plants that are found in freshwater reservoirs.

The beauty of freshwater plants

Freshwater plants, photos of which can be seen in this article, continue to amaze with their beauty. For example, having seen in a reservoir, few people will remain indifferent to its grace. Her flowers are large.

Opening at sunrise, they close only at sunset. Among the people, the water lily received several names at once, among which the most famous are the white lily and the water rose. Its leaves, which are above the water, are large, large. They are characterized by the presence of a large number of air cavities, but its underwater leaves look like ribbons. Often on freshwater reservoirs you can also meet an equally beautiful yellow water lily.

Plants and animals of fresh water bodies are unique and need constant protection. Due to constantly changing climatic conditions, some of them are on the verge of extinction, while the rest have significantly reduced their population. The only exception can be considered amphibian buckwheat, which, in the event of a reservoir drying up, sheds water leaves and grows new ones characteristic of a land plant.

However, in contrast to the amphibian buckwheat, we can give an example of pondweed, which grows exclusively at great depths and is a favorite place for spawning by most fish. It is imported to some import farms specifically in order to significantly increase the fish population.

A person should do his best to maintain the ecological situation of freshwater reservoirs, reducing harmful emissions not only into water sources, but also into the atmosphere, and also, as far as possible, reduce the population of various plants that reduce the moisture content in reservoirs and eventually lead to their complete drainage.

Many people dream of creating a unique water corner in their apartment. Some people simply do not have enough time and space to accommodate the original beauty, which is to create a water world, others think that creating beauty in water is quite problematic.

In order to correctly and practically implement the creation of a water corner, it is recommended to know which plants growing in water are the most popular and unpretentious for living in a room environment. In addition, there is an interesting approach on how to make a do-it-yourself indoor pond in a small room.

The human body is designed in such a way that optimal humidity is necessary for the respiratory system. Increased dryness of the environment can provoke various unpleasant consequences for the internal organs in general. The optimal level of humidity that you need to adhere to in order to feel comfortable is 40-75%.

In winter, when a large number of heaters are turned on or central heating is on, when steam is breathing from the batteries, dryness in the apartment rises to critical levels. To remedy the situation, people are trying to purchase expensive devices that allow you to humidify the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room. This technique not only does not contribute to comfort in the house, but can also cause various diseases, adversely affecting the internal organs.

In order to achieve comfortable indoor humidity in a natural way, there is one reliable option - to equip a corner with plants that live in water or near a reservoir.

Such plants boast rich greenery and a romantic appearance. A piece of paradise with lush vegetation, coolness located next to it and well-chosen exotic wallpapers contribute not only to moisturizing the room, but also to creating an atmosphere of comfort and relaxation.

In addition, any houseplants contribute to the production of oxygen and purification of the atmosphere inside the apartment. If you choose among such plants that promote natural photosynthesis, then it is better to give preference to swamp shrubs. They process carbon dioxide much faster and more actively, saturating the room with fresh aromas. To create such coziness and comfort, you can choose various compositions, but the most interesting and popular are lotus, water lily, hydrocleis, water hyacinth (eichornia),. To make the right choice, it is recommended to read them separately.

This exotic flower is a thin-stemmed perennial with palm-shaped, linear leaves at the very top. The color of the plates may differ depending on the species - light green, rich green or two-tone.

In wildlife, there are a huge number of varieties, but only a few types live in room conditions:

• Papyrus - has erect stems, strong structure, crowned with leaf plates. The latter have a hanging appearance. Numerous inconspicuous inflorescences are formed in the axils of the leaves.
• Alternate (umbellate) - planted at home more often than other members of the genus. It can stretch up to 1.7 m in height. The stem is erect, ending in a beautiful umbrella of bright straight leaf blades. Leaves can reach 25 cm in length and up to 1.5 cm in width.
• Spreading - a shrub of medium height, reaching up to 90 cm. It is distinguished by long basal leaves, a wide structure. The upper part is characterized by a significant narrowing, where the umbrellas are collected in inflorescences of 8-12 pieces in a bunch.

Cyperus is the most unpretentious plant that does not require constant care and care, which feels great in the aquatic environment.

A plant that does not refuse water conditions likes to be almost completely in the water. Calla - a swamp flower, located in wildlife in tropical forests South America. Plant height can vary from small sizes from 15 cm to significant diameters up to 50 cm. The shrub feels great not only at sub-zero temperatures, but also in frozen water. Therefore, the indoor maintenance of the plant does not seem to be an unfavorable living condition for the shrub.

Calla deciduous plates are distinguished by a large diameter. In the center, the leaf has a wide core, and sharpens towards the end. The upper surface is glossy, shiny, with visible veins. When forming a peduncle, the latter begins to grow directly from the base of the leaf. Inflorescences are cylindrical in shape, represented by a large, thick, bare structure.

The flower is distinguished by grace and nobility.

His distinctive feature in front of other plants is a peduncle: a rich yellow hue cob like a veil enveloped in a snow-white petal. The inflorescence is interesting not only during the flowering period, but also at the time of fruit set. After the shrub fades, round, large fruits of a bright scarlet hue are formed within a month. They are firmly attached to the cob. After ripening, the cob is covered with mucus and at the end of summer falls under water, where new plants develop from ripened seeds.

One of the most beautiful creatures growing on the surface of the water is the water lily. It is also called water lily or nymphaeum. Its historical homeland is the fresh waters of Latin America.

The plant has a peculiar structure:

• Its rhizomes sink into the bottom substrate, while they have both tubers and horizontal root processes.
• The shrub forms specific deciduous plates - underwater and floating on the surface of the reservoir.
• Submerged foliage broadly lanceolate, membranous. They are necessary in order to cover the basal compaction with the rudiments of future emergent leaves and buds, developing inflorescences.
• Floating above-water foliage is presented in various forms: from heart-shaped to rounded and elongated.
• On the outer side of the plate there is a wax coating, which does not allow the sheet to get wet.
• When a young leaf is formed, at first it is covered with mucus, only after a certain number of days have passed, a plaque appears and mucus leaves.
• Water lily inflorescences are represented by both sexes. In size, they can vary from the smallest 3 cm in volume to huge, reaching 25 cm in diameter. They are placed on a huge pedicel, a strong structure sometimes reaching a maximum of 5 meters.
• The water lily is cup-shaped or star-shaped. Some species exude a pleasant aroma that spreads over long distances. At night, the inflorescences close their graceful flowers, hiding their beauty.

Each bud lives on average no more than 5 days. The shape of the plant can be either semi-double or terry. The color color varies from white to pale pink. The flowering of the plant begins from the first days of May, when the spring sun warms quite strongly and the reservoir has time to warm up. The duration of flowering continues until the first cold weather.

Eichornia's favorite habitat is the coast of lakes, small rivers or swampy land at the edge of swamps. She feels great when planting in aquariums and ornamental pools.

Plant features:

• The plant is endowed with a long stem, which goes far under the water, clinging to the above-ground sand with its roots.
• A flower, like a water lily, has underwater and surface leaf plates. The latter are rounded oval plates. On their surface, when touched, a ribbed surface is felt.
• The leaf itself is located on a long handle, which is tightly attached to the trunk. In length, the plate can reach 8-9 cm, and in width up to 7 cm.
• For underwater leaves, a checkerboard arrangement is characteristic. The leaves have a narrow shape with a blunt end. In length, underwater leaves are much larger than surface ones - they reach 15 cm, but much narrower - only 1 cm.
• During the flowering period, the plant shoots with an arrow, on which up to 12 large inflorescences are located. They are represented by a blue tone, iridescent in a purple hue. In the central part, the tone is somewhat darker.
• The petals have a fringed shape, while on one of the petals in the upper corner there is always a small yellow speck.

Eichornia can rise above the water level at a considerable distance - by 55-60 cm. It is customary to plant plants in small groups, then their composition seems voluminous and saturated than when the plant blooms alone.

There are several types of eichornia:

1. Water hyacinth or excellent - differs in the original structure of the plant. Together with an interesting leaf of rich light green color, there is an air chamber on the surface of the reservoir. It is thanks to this structure that the flower is kept afloat.
2. Multi-leaved - grows in the water column, recommended for rooting in the aquarium. Its leaf structure is alternately placed leaf plates, straight in shape, without a cutting. The leaf somewhat resembles fern leaves.

When choosing an original plant, it is necessary to rely on the varieties of shrubs, so that it does not turn out that you want an above-water flower, but you get an underwater bush.

The original location of the plant is fixed in the tropical places of America, where there are reservoirs with warm, stagnant water. The shrub tends to grow and expand quickly. Therefore, if you do not follow him and periodically do not restrain his growth, in a short period of time he is able to fill large water surfaces with a continuous green carpet with bright yellow inflorescences.

Plant features:

• Hydrocleis has a dense cylindrical stem that is not attached to anything and floats in the water column. If the water level allows and the rhizomes reach the bottom, then the root is buried in the silt at the bottom of the river. If the stem accidentally or deliberately breaks off, then it does not die, but takes root again and exists as a separate plant.
• Like many aquatic plants, hydrocleis produces two types of greenery - underwater and above-water, floating on the surface. Under water, the leaves are presented in the form of petioles, which are slightly expanded. Elongated leaf plates are placed above the surface, attached to the stem with a cylindrical petiole. The latter do not have a seal inside - they are hollow.
• Sheet plates independently look in the form of an oval or a small heart. They give a rich light green or slightly green tint, and also have a glossy sheen. When touching the leaf, it is felt that the surface of the greenery is covered with wax.
• The inflorescences produced by the flower are located above the water at a level of 10 cm. The bud, opening, demonstrates 3 voluminous petals of a pale yellow hue. After flowering, trihedral fruits are formed, inside which a large number of seeds are contained.

- powerful plants, with creeping rhizomes, fleshy, knotty structure. It has both internal underwater sheet plates and surface ones. The leaves located on the surface of the water are large, rounded, attached to elongated cuttings. Underwater leaves are represented by a flat structure, and surface leaves are represented by a concave, funnel-like surface.

Under natural growing conditions, inflorescences open to 25-30 cm in diameter.

When recalculated, each flower has from 22-23 petals to 30 pieces. At first glance, they resemble a water lily in appearance. But their differences lie in the fact that in the lotus all the flowers and greenery are raised above the surface of the water, while in the water lily, on the contrary, they are drowned.

At the time of flowering, the buds release a unique aroma when opened. The lotus in any case looks at the sun, if it is in shading, its flowers tend to move or turn to the sunny side. The plant is very thermophilic and requires a lot of sunlight without fear of getting burned.

To grow plants located in the water, they need to create all the required conditions. To do this, you need to follow certain rules:

1. Location - for indoor water plants, it is required to provide a bright, sunny place. But not all plants can withstand scorching rays, so either take into account the variety of the flower, or shade the indoor pond in peak heat.
2. Water - do not place the plant immediately in cold water, freshly drawn from the tap. It should be settled, room temperature. If the tap water flows chlorinated, then you should not use it, it is recommended to draw water from some reservoir. In such water, plants will quickly die.
3. Depth - taken into account various types colors. But less than 5 cm in the reservoir should not be liquid. If necessary, water is constantly topped up.
4. Top dressing - it is recommended to add a hydrogel to the water, which, when swollen, retains water well and, if necessary, gives it away, but you should not overdo it. Fertilizers are suitable for hydrocultures. They need to be mixed in small doses in an aquarium or decorative pond.
5. Cleaning - alien microorganisms that do not belong to the plants that were planted will be present in the water. In order to reduce the growth of weeds, you will have to change the water every 2-3 weeks and clean the walls of the container from plaque.
6. Wintering - during the dormant period, plants often get rid of excess vegetation, and therefore the aquarium becomes half empty. To stimulate the appearance of new leaves, you can try rearranging the pond to the south window or additionally illuminate with fitolamps.

Adhering to certain rules and features of rooting and growing aquatic plants, you can create an original composition in your apartment. The main thing is to place several types of water flowers in one container so that they replace and complement each other as they fade.

How to make an indoor pond?

To make an indoor pond at home, you need to prepare a container before starting work. The container should be voluminous, containing at least 25-30 liters of water. It is desirable that it be decorative, non-corrosive, waterproof and non-toxic.

A prerequisite for the container is a minimum of 15 cm, which will be filled with liquid. Best for shaping indoor pond suitable containers that hold at least 60-80 liters. For reliability, cover the surface with varnish on the outside, and completely cover the inside with sealant.

The main thing is to choose interesting and interchangeable aquatic plants and flowers.

Place the prepared container in the sunniest place. After pouring water into the container, you should wait until all the particles settle and only, at least after 3-4 days, start planting. You can place any plants from the dwarf water lily to the chic lotus, but it is additionally recommended to place oxygenators that allow you to suppress the growth of algae and weeds.

Thus, a room pond will be ready, which does not require close attention and capricious care. But in return, the owner of such an exotic decoration will receive a zone for rest and relaxation.

More information can be found in the video: