In emergent plants, leaf and flower production takes place mostly above the water such as with the Water Lily and the aquatic fern Marsilea . Water Lilies are deep water plants, growing in water 12 inches deep or more. Marsilea , commonly called the Four-leaf Water Clover, is a shallow water plant typically found in water depths of 6 inches or less. Some Water Lilies are viviparous, with new plantlets forming on the leaves of the parent plant. B og plants grow in constantly moist, but not totally submerged areas around the rim of bodies of water.
Many carnivorous plants thrive in boggy and swampy areas.
Cyperus plants also enjoy swampy conditions. This genus includes Cyperus papyrus , the plant used by ancient Egyptians for making writing paper. Andrew G. Seymour A nother type of aquatic plant is the submerged aquatic, where leaf and flower production takes place mainly below the water surface. Oxygenating plants grow totally submerged and perform the important functions of producing oxygen, competing with algae for nutrients in the water, and providing a spawning area for fish. The flowers of Elodea, an oxygenator plant, are water-pollinated.