Hobbies And Interests
Cattails
Cattails are distinguishable by their sharp-looking leaves and spiked flowers, and tend to appear in large numbers by the sides of ponds and across marshes. Cattails can store plenty of food in their thick root system, and under the right circumstances, in reasonably shallow water and given the required amount of sunlight, these plants can grow extremely swiftly. Cattails will often expand away from their preferred shallow water conditions, sometimes stunting the growth of other plants with their excessive foliage.
Bulrushes
Bulrushes come in two varieties, hard and soft stemmed, and both types feature brown flowers and rounded stems, with the former plant typically ending up a little taller than the latter. Hard-stemmed bulrushes are often confused with soft-stemmed, a difficulty that is increased thanks to the existence of hybrid species, which combines the two varieties. Bulrushes favor reasonably shallow water and are part of the diet of many animals which inhabit wetland and pond areas, while visiting birds use bulrushes for cover.
Greater Bladderwort
This yellow-flowered plant is often found in shallow waters, such as in ponds and woodland pools, and can be identified by the presence of air bladders on the plant's leaves, which help to feed the plant. Each greater bladderwort tends to feature between three and 20 flowers, and grows to a few inches in height, floating on the water by the means of its air-filled bladders.
Flowering Rush
The flowering rush originally hails from the gardens of Europe. However, it has since been introduced to the United States, and can be found in the rivers and lakes of states such as Minnesota, where it can grow to be a problem. Specifically, the growth of multiple flowering rushes can prevent other neighboring plants from growing properly, which in turn can have a negative effect on animals higher up the food chain which rely on consuming these plants. The flowering rush can be identified by its pink-white petals, and tends to grow to around three feet high.
Stonewort
This type of freshwater algae is also known as charophytes, and consists of three varieties, called chara, tolypella and nitella respectively. Stonewort gets its name from the layer of calcium carbonate which it produces over itself during photosynthesis, giving a grit-like feel to its surface.