RESEARCH ON MORPHOLOGICAL AND ANATOMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SEVERAL PLANT SPECIES ADAPTED TO AQUATIC HABITATS IN THAI NGUYEN PROVINCE

Abstract

Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.), Water lily (Nymphaea stellata Willd.) and Limnophila heterophylla Benth. are aquatic plant species living commonly in ponds and lakes in Vietnam. Human uses these plants for different purposes including medicine, food or ornamental; therefore they were mentioned as research objectives of many scientific researches. This paper presents the research results of morphological and anatomical characteristics of the above three aquatic species plants collected in Thai Nguyen province to observe the way they adapted to the living environment in ponds and lakes. The method for microscopic slides preparation, observation and structural description were used followed the instructions of S. T. Hoang and N. P. Nguyen (2008). The results of the study show that these species have shown high adaptability to aquatic habitats. Plant organs have a decrease in muscle tissues, supportive tissues, and vascular tissues, but thriving air spaces in the spongy parenchyma cells of the leaf blade, petiole and rhizome. These characteristics facilitate the exchange of gases between plants and the outside atmosphere. Particularly, the air spaces in the spongy parenchyma cells help the leaves float on the water. The article is intended to provide research data for teaching and learning.