Journal of Plant Development (Dec 2009)
ORNAMENTAL SPECIES USED IN WATER GARDENS FROM SOUTH KOREA
Abstract
Aquatic plants (hydrophytic plants or hydrophytes) are plants that have adapted to live in or on aquatic environments. Because they are living under the water require numerous special adaptations, aquatic plants can only grow in water or permanently saturated soil. Aquatic vascular plants can be ferns or angiosperms (from a variety of families, including monocots and dicots). As opposed to plants types such as mesophytes and xerophytes, hydrophytes do not have a problem in retaining water due to the abundance of water in its environment. This means the plant has less need to regulate transpiration (indeed, the regulation of transpiration would require more energy than the possible benefits incurred).The Korean vascular flora contains 217 families, 1.045 genera, 3.034 species, and 406 infraspecific taxa [CHONG-WOOK PARK, 2007].In Mokp’o region (South Korea), in 1995, was identified hydrophytes species composed by 11 orders, 22 families, 23 genera, 38 species, 9 varieties, total 48 taxa. These were composed by 22 taxa emerged plants, 15 taxa floating-leaves plants, 8 taxa submerged plants and 3 taxa free-floating plants [JEONG WOO-GYU & al., 1995].The same research collective, in 1996, in Paksil, Yundang (South Korea) swamp region was identified hydrophytes species composed by 11 orders, 22 families, 31 genera, 41 species, 10 varieties; it represents 12.1% of total plants. These is composed of 25 taxa emerged plants, 15 taxa floating-leaves plants, 9 taxa submerged plants and 3 taxa free-floating plants [JEONG WOO-GYU & al., 1996].This paper contains the classification of water plants and a brief description of some aquatic species used in Korean ancient and modern gardens in order to introduce in our country.
