On Golden Pond
Lily pads show off their autumn colors, giving this local pond a nice golden tone.
"If you've ever encountered a body of water populated with lily pads, you've likely been amazed at how these unusual aquatic plants seem to float on top of the water. Lily pads are just one part of a larger pond plant that thrives in shallow lakes and ponds. There are about 70 different species of this aquatic flowering plant.
The lily pad you see floating on top of the water is only one part of a water lily (Nymphaeaceae spp.) plant. Characteristically round, flat and waxy, a lily pad is simply a leaf with the ability to repel moisture from its surface. Though lily pads appear as if they are simply floating atop the water, they are actually attached to a stem that may extend many feet down to the bottom of a pond or lake, where the plant is rooted.
The underside of a lily pad looks vastly different than the top. A system of stems and tubes run underneath the lily pad. These tubes, which are connected to openings called stomas in the top of the leaves, help the pad float and collect oxygen through the stoma. This oxygen is transferred to the water lily's stem and down to the plant's roots. Up to two liters of air a day are sent from the top of the lily to its roots through this mechanism." hunker.com
Have a safe, wonderful Wednesday!
On Golden Pond
Lily pads show off their autumn colors, giving this local pond a nice golden tone.
"If you've ever encountered a body of water populated with lily pads, you've likely been amazed at how these unusual aquatic plants seem to float on top of the water. Lily pads are just one part of a larger pond plant that thrives in shallow lakes and ponds. There are about 70 different species of this aquatic flowering plant.
The lily pad you see floating on top of the water is only one part of a water lily (Nymphaeaceae spp.) plant. Characteristically round, flat and waxy, a lily pad is simply a leaf with the ability to repel moisture from its surface. Though lily pads appear as if they are simply floating atop the water, they are actually attached to a stem that may extend many feet down to the bottom of a pond or lake, where the plant is rooted.
The underside of a lily pad looks vastly different than the top. A system of stems and tubes run underneath the lily pad. These tubes, which are connected to openings called stomas in the top of the leaves, help the pad float and collect oxygen through the stoma. This oxygen is transferred to the water lily's stem and down to the plant's roots. Up to two liters of air a day are sent from the top of the lily to its roots through this mechanism." hunker.com
Have a safe, wonderful Wednesday!