• Water liliesPaul Edmondson/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
  
  Water plants play an important role in the rainforest ecosystem. Their roots provide habitat for small fish and amphibians. Larger animals use water plants as part of their diet. Some water plants are invasive, choking waterways and preventing them from being used. Plants may be harvested for placement in fish aquariums or for decorative purposes. Many varieties of water plants thrive in rainforests, but only a few are notable, usually for their size, behavior or appearance.
  
  

Water Lily

• The water lily is one of the most visible water plants. The Victoria water lily is one of the largest single-leafed plants in the world. The leaves can grow to over 6 feet in diameter. The plant is found in lakes and other calm waters in the Amazonian rainforest. The thin plant weighs little and floats on top of the water. The night-blooming flowers first bloom white, then slowly go from pink to purple.
  
  

Water Hyacinth

• The water hyacinth grows from only a few inches to over 3 feet. It is found mainly in lakes, but also in other rainforest waters. The plant is a vigorous spreader that often blocks waterways. Seeds of the water hyacinth can lie dormant for up to 20 years when there is a shortage of rain.
  
  

Bladderwort

• Bladderwort is a carnivorous plant. It lives in open water in bog lakes. This plant traps insects in a bladder that operates like a suction bulb. Small hairs on the bladder act like antennae which, when triggered, cause the bladder to open and suck in food. This water plant has purple or yellow flowers and grows mostly beneath the surface. The blossoms remain above the surface. It is a rootless plant anchored by its stem and leaves.
  
  

African Water Fern

• One of the globe's most intransigent weeds is the African water fern. It is a mat-forming plant. It is known to grow so rapidly that it was observed to cover 77 square miles in an 11-month time period. In the same African lake four years later, it covered 387 square miles. It produces large dark green leaves on a stalk. The plant prefers to grow in moving water.