hydrophyte

[ hahy-druh-fahyt ]

/ ˈhaɪ drəˌfaɪt /

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noun

a plant that grows in water or very moist ground; an aquatic plant.

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Origin of hydrophyte

First recorded in 1825–35; hydro-¹ + -phyte

OTHER WORDS FROM hydrophyte

hy·dro·phyt·ic

[hahy-druh-fit-ik], /ˌhaɪ drəˈfɪt ɪk/, adjectivehy·dro·phyt·ism, noun

Words nearby hydrophyte

hydrophobe, hydrophobia, hydrophobic, hydrophone, hydrophyllaceous, hydrophyte, hydropic, hydroplane, hydroplaner, hydropneumatization, hydroponics

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for hydrophyte

hydrophyte

/ (ˈhaɪdrəʊˌfaɪt) /

noun

a plant that grows only in water or very moist soil

Derived forms of hydrophyte

hydrophytic (ˌhaɪdrəʊˈfɪtɪk), adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for hydrophyte

hydrophyte

[ hī′drə-fīt′ ]

A plant that grows wholly or partly submerged in water. Because they have less need to conserve water, hydrophytes often have a reduced cuticle and fewer stomata than other plants. Floating leaves have stomata only on their upper surfaces, and underwater leaves generally have no stomata at all. Because water is readily available, hydrophytes also have a reduced root system and less vascular tissue than other plants (which also makes plant parts less dense and helps them float). Hydrophytes tend to have less supportive tissue as well, since they are buoyed by water. Many species of hydrophytes (such as the Eurasian milfoil) have divided leaves that have less resistance to flowing water. The lotus, water lily, and cattail are hydrophytes. Compare mesophyte xerophyte.