Lots and Lots of Lily Pads!

As many people have probably noticed, there are "Lily Pads" all over the place. On our class visit to Lux Arbor Reserve, the lake in which we collected pitcher plant water samples was home to many, many water lilies, or lily pads.

An abundance of these plants in the water at Lux Arbor.

 These plants were not in bloom when we were at Lux Arbor.

Between the large masses of lily pads, freshwater can be seen.

 The official family of water lilies and lily pads is nymphaeacae. Nymphaeacae live in freshwater climates around the world. There are two main types of water lilies-hardy or tropical. The plants at Lux Arbor had a diameter of about 9"-15".
Water lilies help protect organisms below the surface of the water from the heat of the sun. In some places, nymphaeacae can be considered an invasive species because there are so many of them and they can be difficult to remove.

Lily pads are rooted beneath the surface, but float on top of the water.

Photo credits to the Zoology 355 class.