Aquatic plants are plants that have adapted to living in aquatic environments (saltwater or freshwater). They are also referred to as hydrophytes or macrophytes to distinguish them from algae and other microphytes. A macrophyte is a plant that grows in or near water and is either emergent, submergent, or floating.Many small aquatic animals use plants such as duckweed for a home, or for protection from predators. Some other familiar examples of aquatic plants might include floating heart, water lily, lotus, and water hyacinth.The term is normally used for plants that grow completely underwater or with leaves floating on the surface. Parts of the shoot, particularly flowering stems, will often grow up above the water. Most aquatic plants live in freshwater in lakes, ponds, reservoirs, canals, or rivers and streams.