Cattail leaves under water respire through air-filled aerenchyma tissue

Evidence

The bases of the leaves are under water, but they still need oxygen for respiration. So, like scuba divers with air tanks, they equip themselves with spongy, air-filled tissue, nature’s Bubble Wrap. These white cells, called aerenchyma, are big enough to be seen with the naked eye and make a buoyant, cushiony layer at the base of each leaf. The leaves are also coated with a waxy layer, a waterproof barrier like a raincoat. But this raincoat works in reverse, keeping watersoluble nutrients inside, so that they don’t leach away into the water. — Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass, 821

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Pond lily leaves relay surface oxygen through air-filled cells to buried roots — Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom,…, 344