Zones 3 and 4—the shallow water and swamp area

Along the edge of standing water bodies with a fluctuating water level (zone 3), Carex elata can develop to be the dominant species of a tall sedge swamp. It can be linked with a tall forb community outwards (zone 2) and with a reed swamp inwards. The typical reed swamp vegetation is dominated by a few very competitive species sending a dense net of rhizomes and roots through the saturated soil and protecting it from erosion (Table 8.4). The most widespread reed species, Phragmites australis, prefers edges of standing water bodies and invades wetlands too. In wastewater treatment wetlands, it is the most effective purifying species because its thick, aerenchymcontaining rhizomes optimise the site as a habitat for micro-organisms that aid the reduction of pollutants and nutrients (Wissing 1995) (Figure 8.16). Along streams and riversides Phragmites communities are substituted by Phalaris arundinacea. Its roots and rhizoms only penetrate a shallow soil – layer and are, therefore, not very effective at protecting river banks from erosion. Bioengineering objectives are best realised when Phragmites australis is used together with Schoenoplectus lacustris in transition zones to deep water. Rampantly spreading Carex species (such as C. acutiformis) are recommended for shallow water and wetland zones. Together with Carex elata, some other tussock species and low-growing or lesscompetitive rhizome perennials are suitable for a diverse planting design in several layers as explained above.

Menyanthes trifoliate and Potentilla palustris as ground-covers prefer meso – to oligotrophic water and mediate between zones 4, 3 and 2 as well because they develop floating mats toward zone 5. A wide range of inhabitable water depths is to be found by Calltriche palustris, Crassula recurva, Hippuris vulgaris, Hottonia palustris and Sparganium spp., being able to form very diverse bodies according to water-depth. The ‘land-type’ develops a tough,

Table 8.4. Shallow water and swamp area

	Origin*	Soil/water conditions	Height (cm)	Flowering Months	Flower Colour
Dominant species (5-20/10 m2)
Carex elata	Eur	Mesotrophic	30-100	IV-V	green
Iris pseudacorus	Eur, As, N – Afr	Meso-eutrophic	80-100	V-VI	yellow
Nuphar advena	N-Am, S-As	Eutrophic	50-80	VI-IX	yellow
Pontederia lanceolata+	N-Am	Eutrophic	80-120	VI-X	blue
Peltandra virginica	N-Am	Meso-eutrophic	80-100	V-VI	green
Companion species (10-30/10 m?)
Butomus umbellatus	Eur, As	Eutrophic	50-100	VII	pink
Hippuris vulgaris	Eur, As, NAm	Eutrophic	25-30	inconspicuous flowers
Iris laevigata	W-As, S-Am	Meso-eutrophic	70-80	VI-VII	blue
Lysimachia thyrsiflora	Eur, As, NAm	Oligo- mesotrophic	70-80	V-VI	yellow
Mentha aquatica	Eur, As	Eutrophic	40-80	VII-IX	pink-lilac
Mimulus ringens	O-, N-Am	Mesotrophic	60-100	VI-VII	blue purple
Pontederia cordata	N-Am	Eutrophic	60-70	VI-IX	blue
Ranunculus flammula	Eur, W-As	Mesotrophic, acid	20-50	VI-VIII	yellow
Ground-covers (20-40/10 m2)
Juncus ensifolius	N-Am	Mesotrophic	15-20	VII-X	brown- black

Menyanthes trifoliata	Cosmopolitan	Oligo- mesotrophic	15/30	V-VI	white
Nasturtium officinale	Eur, As	Meso-eutrophic	20-80	V-X	white
Pilularia globulifera	Eur	Mesotrophic, acid	5-15	fern plant
Potentilla palustris	Cospoplolitan	Oligo- mesotrophic	30-40	V-VI	brown-red
Sparganium minimum	Eur	Mesotrophic	5-20	VI-IX	green
Veronica beccabunga	Eur, W-As	Meso-eutrophic	25-30	V-VIII	blue
Scattered plants (up to 30/10 m2)
Alisma lanceolatum	Eur, W-As	Eutrophic	50-60	VII-VIII	white
Alisma subcordatum	N-Am	Eutrophic	30-50	VII-VIII	white
Alisma plantago – aquatica	Eur, As	Eutrophic	40-100	VII-VIII	white
Baldellia ranunculoides	Eur	Oligo-mesotr. saltresist.	5-30	VII-X	white, pink
Juncus bulbosus	Eur	Oligo-mesotr., acid	5-15	VII-IX	brown
Orontium aquaticum	N-Am	Meso-eutrophic	5-10	V-VI	yellow
Sagittaria latifolia	N-Am	Eutrophic	50-60	VI-VII	white
Sagittaria sagittifolia	Eur, W-As	Eutrophic	40-60	VI-VII	white
Monoculture species— 30/10m2)	only to combine with shallow ground	-cover species mentioned above (10-
Acorus calamus	S-, E-As	Meso-eutrophic	60-100	V-VI	white
Bolboschoenus maritimus	Eur, As, E – Am	Meso-eutrophic	30-100	VI-VIII	brown
Cladium mariscus	Cosmopolitan	Oligot-mesot, hard	80-200	VII-XI	brown
Cyperus longus	C-Eur, As	Mesotrophic	100-130	VII-IX	brown
Dulichium arundinaceum	N-Am	Mesotrophic?	40-80	VII-IX	brown
Phragmites australis	Cosmopolitan	Meso-eutrophic	100-400	IX-I	brown
Ranunculus lingua	Eur, W-As	Meso-eutrophic	70/100	VI-VII	yellow
Schoenoplectus lacustris	Eur, As	Eutrophic	200-250	VI-VIII	brown
Schoenopl. tabernaemontani	Eur, As, NAm	Eutrophic, saltresistant	50-150	VI-VIII	brown

Sparganium erectum	Eur, As	Meso-eutrophic	50-120	VI-VII	green
Sparganium simplex	Eur, As, NAm	Meso-eutrophic	50-100	VI-VII	green
Typha angustifolia	Eur, As, NAm	Meso-eutrophic	150-200	VI-X	brown
Typha latifolia	Cosmopolitan	Meso-eutrophic	150-200	VI-VII	black
Typha laxmannii	Eur, As	Meso-eutrophic	120-160	VI-X	brown
Typha minima	Eur, As	Oligo-mesotr., hard	40-60	V-VII	brown
Typha shuttleworthii	Eur	Meso-eutrophic	90-120	VI-VII	grey-black
Zizania latifolia	As	Meso-eutrophic	100-150	flowering only climate	in warm

* Eur=Europe; As=Asia; Am=America; N=North; E=East; S=South; W=West; C=Central + Hardy if planted 50cm below water level

	Table 8.5.	The water lily	area
	Origin*	Soil/water conditions	Water depth (cm)	Flowering Months	Flower Colour
Floating-leaved species (not fixed into the bottom with their roots)
Hydrocharis morsus-ranae	Eur, As	Mesotrophic	>10	VII-VIII	white
Riccia fluitans	Eur, As, Am	Mesotrophic?	>10	moss plant
Salvinia natans	Eur, As	Meso-eutrophic, hard	>10	fern plant
Stratiotes aloides	Eur, As	Mesotrophic, hard	>70	V-VI	white
Clump-forming and moderately running rooted floating-leaved species
Caltha natans	N-Am	Mesotrophic?	10-40	VI-IX	white
Nuphar japonica	E-As	Meso-eutrophic	70-120	VI-IX	yellow
Nuphar lutea	Eur, As	Meso-eutrophic	70-120	VI-X	yellow
Nuphar minima	Eur, As	Oligotrophic, acid	50-90	VI-IX	yellow
Nymphaea alba	Eur, W-As	Meso-eutrophic	80-120	VI-X	white
Nymphaea candida	Eur, W-As	Mesotrophic	70-100	VID-X	white
Nymphaea odorata	N-Am	Meso-eutrophic	70-100	VI-X	pink
Nymphaea tetragona+	N-As	Oligo- mesotrophic	20-40	VI-X	white

Nymphaea tuberosa	N-Am	Meso-eutrophic	70-100	VI-X	white
Nymp. ‘Berthold’	Cultivar	Meso-eutrophic	40-60	VI-X	pink
Nymp. ‘Candidissima’	Cultivar	Meso-eutrophic	60-90	VI-X	white
Nymp. ‘Gladstoniana’	Cultivar	Meso-eutrophic	90-120	VI-X	white
Nymp. ‘Marliacea Carnea’	Cultivar	Meso-eutrophic	60-90	VI-X	white-pink
Nymp. ‘Moorei’	Cultivar	Meso-eutrophic	40-70	VI-X	yellow
Ranunculus aquatilis	Cosmopolitan Mesotrophic	50-90	V-IX	white
Trapa natans	Eur, As	Eutrophic	50-120	VI-VIII	white
Monoculture rooted	species—very competitive and not to combine with other species
Nymphoides peltata	Eur, As	Meso-eutrophic	40-100	VI-VIII	yellow
Persicaria amphibia	Cosmopolitan	Meso-eutrophic	10-100	VI-VIII	pink
Potamogeton natans	Cosmopolitan	Meso-eutrophic	40-100	inconspicuous	flowers

* Eur=Europe; As=Asia; Am=America; N=North; E=East; S=South; W=West; C=Central + Requires slight proctection in very cold climates

Table 8.6. Submerged zone community

Rooted species	Origin*	Soil/water conditions	Water depth (cm)	Flowering Months	Flower Colour
Callitriche palustris	Cosmopolitan	Meso-eutrophic	>10	inconspicuous flowers	flowers
Chara fragilis	Eur, As, Am	Oligo- mesotrophic	>20	alga—plant
Eleocharis acicularis	E-As, Am	Meso-eutrophic	>10	inconspicuous	flowers
Elodea canadensis	Am	Meso-eutrophic	>20	inconspicuous	flowers
Fontinalis antipyretica	Eur, As, NAm	Oligo- mesotrophic	>30	moss—plant
Hottonia palustris	Eur, As	Meso-eutrophic, acid	>10	V-VI	pink
Littorella uniflora	Eur	Oligotrophic	>20	inconspicuous	flowers

Myriophyllum spicatum	Cosmopolitan	Oligo-eutrophic, hard	>30 inconspicuous	flowers
Myriophyllum verticillatum	Cosmopolitan	Meso-eutrophic	>30 inconspicuous	flowers
Nitella flexilis	Eur, As, Am	Oligotrophic, acid	>20 alga—plant
Potamogeton crispus	Cosmopolitan	Mesotrophic	>50 inconspicuous	flowers
Potamogeton lucens	Eur, As	Eutrophic, hard	>50 inconspicuous	flowers
Floating species (without roots)
Ceratophyllum demersum	Cosmopolian	Eutrophic	>40 inconspicuous	flowers
Ceratophyllum submersum	Eur, As	Eutrophic	>40 inconspicuous	flowers
Utricularia vulgaris	Cosmopolitan	Mesotrophic, acid	>40 VII-VIII	yellow

* Eur=Europe; As=Asia; Am=America; N=North; E=East; S=South; W=West; C=Central

upright body, while the ‘submerged-type’ produces smooth, feathery leaves on soft branches, increasing the gas-exchanging plant surface. Floating branches develop to more or less dense growing blankets covering the water surface.

Furniture Design Ideas

Zones 3 and 4—the shallow water and swamp area

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