The plants that rest on top of the water, which are called "floating plants," typically have large leaves, short roots and less rigid structures, because the water supports them. Some of the most prevalent plants include azolla, duckweeds, water milfoil and rush. With small hairs on their roots, these plants are able to trap and store oxygen in the water. The plants typically act as homes for fish, plankton and other smaller aquatic creatures.
Submerged plants live in swampy and shallow areas, and they photosynthesize by using filtered sunlight that penetrates the water's surface. These plants include water milfoils (sometimes these are categorized as floating plants as well), common water milfoil, pond weeds, yellow bladderwort and ribbonweed. Submerged plants typically have smaller root systems because their leaves can diffuse oxygen along with the roots. Some plants have air sacs that help them move and stay rigid among strong currents.
Smaller plants and shrubs live further inland, and these plants help prevent massive erosion. Some examples of land plants are black seeded saw sedges, gray reeds, mat rush, swamp foxtail, tall knotweed, wetland frog-mouth, yellow water primrose and purple pratia. These plants help stabilize the terrain of the wetland, which may be prone to sudden and massive changes in water levels and rain.
The large land plants serve as protectors of smaller plants and animals, with their massive root systems and large branches. For example, the paperbark tree, which has crusty and flimsy bark that leaves holes and crevices around the trunk, offers a home to insect species, birds and small amphibians. Other large plant species in the wetlands include tea trees, gum trees, river oaks and bottle trees.
