Water Plants

• A great diversity of plants grows in water bodies around the world. The leaves and stems of plants growing inside the water are pliable enough to withstand water currents without breaking. These plants absorb the required nutrients through the foliage instead of the roots that only function as anchors. Floating aquatic plants repel water with their smooth, waxy coating and many of these plants produce floating seeds.
  
  

Taiga Plants

• Taiga is a region also referred to as a boreal forest. The climate in taiga is characterized by low winter and high summer temperature with 20 inches of annual precipitation. Evergreen conifers or cone bearing plants are the main species of plants growing here. The conifers are well adapted to their environment with evergreen foliage that is able to photosynthesize immediately in optimal temperature. Needlelike leaves minimize water loss and repel snow more efficiently than the broad leaves. The dark color of the foliage absorbs more solar energy during the cold winters.
  
  

Tropical Rainforest Plants

• Tropical rainforest plants have to survive in hot and wet conditions with 80 to 180 inches of annual rain that often causes flooding and soil erosion. The heavy growth of trees reduces light to the shorter plants below. The plants in the tropical rainforests have adapted with waxy surfaces to deter excessive moisture, the ability to climb on other plants to reach the sun, shallow root systems to help absorb nutrients from the upper surface of the ground and the ability to actually grow on other plants instead of in the soil.
  
  

Desert Plants

• Plants in the desert have to endure dry and hot growing conditions with less than 10 inches of annual rain, lack of shade, strong winds and extreme heat. Plants called succulents store water in their fleshy foliage and stems and some plants produce very small leaves immediately following rain. The root systems of desert plants are very strong, able to extend deep into the earth in search of water. Cacti in the desert have spines that protect them from animals looking for water from their thick leaves or pads. The foliage of many plants is wax coated to minimize transpiration.