Aquatic Vegetables

Abstract

Considerable areas of the earth are flooded, some, all, or part of the time with either fresh or brackish waters. Many plants thrive and reproduce under these conditions and humans have used some of them for food and medicine. Prior to the development of agriculture, aquatic plants were gathered from their natural environments. During the development of agriculture, these began to be cultivated in locations other than their usual habitat through the control of the necessary flooded or waterlogged conditions. Initially, some of these plants used as vegetables were probably first found growing as weeds in rice paddies, although several species are also adapted to upland conditions. Most aquatic and swamp-adapted vegetable species were developed in tropical and semitropical environments, and many seemed to have originated in southern and southeastern Asia. Some aquatic vegetable species are also grown in warmer regions of temperate zones.