A study of water plants[Year/Subject] 1st Year Junior High School, Science[Course Name] Classifying Plants

Optimum Season

Objectives
Allow pupils to identify the design and function of roots, stalks, leaves and flowers that water plants use to grow in or around water,
and increase the pupil’s awareness of different types of plants and their various lifecycles.
Increase the pupil’s awareness of local environmental conservation by observing wild natural habitats around ponds and otherwetlands.

From June to mid November. The optimum season is between September and October, when most water plants are in full bloom.

Classification of water plants

CautionWhen conducting activities near ponds, always check the area thoroughly in advance. Safety is paramount. Take extra care againstvipers.
Ponds in the Sera area are home to many valuable species of plants. Do not collect more plants than is necessary.
Do not take any actions that may inconvenience farmers, such as destroying irrigation ridges or water intake areas for the pond.

The first step in classifying water plants is to identify whether the plant is amonocotyledon or dicotyledon. Major classifications are outlined in the diagram,
however many exceptions do exist.

Items to Prepare
White tray: to observe water plants that havebeen collectedMagnifying glass: to observe the details ofwater plantsTemperature gauge
Digital camera: to photograph the conditionsof water plants and the pond
[Observation of plant pores]
Microscope observational tools
Razor blade  Petri dish  Dropper
Common pond plants such as water chestnuts
and pondweed are ideal for observation.
Take care not to collect any rare species ofplants.

Observation key points

Example answers (partially entered)A study of water plants

Ovules

Let's have a closer look atwater plants
 Sketch the overall plant, taking into consideration the structure of the roots, stalk andleaves. Be sure to include a scale too.
 Sketch the shape of veins in leaves or flowers and other parts of the plant that importantfor classifying the type of plant.
 Observation date & time: September 6, 2009 Morning Observation area: Sera Yume Kouen, Nature Observation Field, Pond 2

 Weather: Sunny Temperature: 28.5C

Plant

Produces
seeds

Seedplant

Leaf
veins

Ovulesare
Main root
contained Angiosperm and lateral Netveins
withinroots
anovary

Ovulesareexposed
Does
notproduce
seeds

Roots

Gymnosperm

Plant that does not produce
seeds (algae, moss, ferns)

Fibrousroots

Seed Number
leaves of petals

Shape offlowers

Dicotyle- Fused petal
don2 leaves Multipleof 4 or 5

Parallel 1 leaf
veins

Monocoty-ledon

Sympetal-ae
Archichlamydeae

Separate
petal

Searching for families of water plants
Name of the plant you sketched:

Ottelia alismoides

Examine the surface of the leaves of the water plant with a microscope and sketch what yousee. Compare this with the surface of the leaves of a land plant.
Plant observed: Pondweed
Microscope zoom: 400 magnifications
Front surface of leaf

Write down the conditions of the observation area.
A sunny pond with no trees nearby. The level of clarity ofOverall conditions of the pond: the pond water was extremely high.

Conditions of the area the plant was growing:Growing in large numbers in shallow water on
the edge of the pond.

Sera area - a diverse variety of water plants
The Sera area has a large number of ponds and marshes that are home to a wide
variety of rare plants such as the nuphar oguraense, and the area has even been
selected by the Ministry of the Environment as part of the “500 Important
Wetlands in Japan”.
The area is known for its rich history of rice cultivation as described byOtanosho, and a large number of ponds were created and managed by the people
who used to live there. With its long, rich history, this wetland environment is a
precious resource in the area today. These ponds, and the water plants that growthere, will continue to be regarded as an important resource.

Nymphaeaceae
Menyanthaceae Potamogetonaceae

Multipleof 3

Let's have a closer look at thepores

Water plants
A water plant is the name given to plants that grow inwater or around water found in ponds, rice paddies andrivers. There are approximately 200 different types ofwater plants growing in Japan alone, andapproximately 400 if water plants growing in marshes
and rice paddies are included.
Water plants can be classified into four different
categories below depending on the way they grow: Emerged plants: plants with leaves and stalks thatgrow above the water surface
 Floating-leaved plants: plants that have leaves thatfloat on the water surface
 Submerged plants: the entire plant grows underwater Free-floating plants: plants that float on the water
without attaching their roots to ground under thewater

Seeds

A number of ponds were constructed and managed many years ago in the Sera area, where
rice cultivation is popular. A large number of water plants (plants that grow in water or
around water) that can no longer be found in other regions, live in these ponds.

Sketch plants accurately and in detail using
lines and dots.
When collecting and observing wild animals
and plants, always have pupils record the date
and time, weather, temperature and area ofobservation.
If pupils notice anything while making
observations, have them write the details
down in the comments section.

Pond environment
Have pupils record the overall conditions of
the pond, including the level of clarity of thewater, the amount of sunshine, how the pond
is being used and the types of plants growingthere.
Have pupils record the conditions of the area
the plant was growing, including the level ofclarity of the water and the amount ofsunshine in that particular location, water
depth in the types of plants growing there.

Let's classify the plants

Poaceae
Cyperaceae
Potamogetonaceae Juncaceae
Hydrocharitaceae Sparganiaceae
Typhaceae
Thin, long leaves
Alismataceae
No split in in the form ofPontederiaceae
Hydrocharitaceae the leaves. stalks of rice.
Leaf
Nymphaeaceae
Lentibulariaceae
etc
etc
Leaf shapes can be
The stem and leaf
Subme Emerged described as lanceolate,is split into smaller-rgedround, hastate or other.
sections.
Leaf shape is
Small plant size, floating
Floating onrhomboid.
on water surface.
waterThe center ofsurface
Lemnaceae
the leaf is
Leaves floatAzolla imbricate (fern)
Leavesfloat
bulbous.
Ricciaceae (moss)on the water on the water
Trapaceae
surface and have surface and haveparallel veins.
netted veins.
Flowers are white Flowers do not have
petals.
or yellow.

(Reference: Satake, Y. et al. “Wild Flowers of Japan”,
Heibonsha, 1985)

Have pupils write down the genus name andfamily name, even if they do not know theexact species. Making them try is the mostimportant point.
Observation of pores

Observations can be made easier if
floating-leaved plants such as potamogeton
fryeri or brasenia schreberi are used.
 Carefully cut away part of the leaf surface
using a razor blade. Point out differenceswith land plants and how the surface is not
as well developed.
Compare the front surface and rear surface of the leaf and write down what you think.
 Prepare slide and observe the structure
under a microscope.
The pores of the potamogeton fryeri water plant are different to that of land plants, andResults and discussion
are positioned on the front surface. No pores were visible on the rear surface. The pores Pores are visible on the front (top) surface
on the surface of the leaf that floats on the water surface in order to breathe in and out(figure 1). There are no ports on the rear
oxygen and carbon dioxide with the atmosphere.
(bottom) surface (figure 2).
 The surface with more pores differs to thatof land plants (figure 3).
Example observation of pores Water plants
Land plants
Rear surface of leaf

Potamogeton fryeri (pondweed) floating leaves
Figure 1 Front (top) surface Figure 2 Rear (bottom) surface

Solidago altissima (goldenrod) leaves
Figure 3 Frontsurface
Figure 4 Rear surface- 6 -