Water plant, also called aquatic plant or hydrophyte, is a name used for any plant that is specially adapted to live in water. Many botanists also consider the term water plant to include those plants that grow in water-saturated soils.
Water plants may be rooted in the mud and have their leaves and blossoms above or at the surface of the water. Some kinds grow completely underwater. Submerged water plants often have air bladders or large air pores in their stems and leaves that help the plants stand upright or stay afloat. Some of the best-known water plants are water lilies, sedges, and cattails. These plants often grow in lakes and ponds. Some biologists consider certain types of algae to be water plants. However, most scientists do not include algae in the plant kingdom. They classify algae in the kingdoms Protista and Bacteria.
