Plant Draft 1

Rice, also known as Oryza sativa, is a major staple in kitchens all around the world. This semi-aquatic plant has many subspecies, yet for this experiment only the japonica and indica subspecies were studied. These suspecies are mostly grown in Southern Asia. Rice is semi-aquatic because the plants are adapted to survive and grow even when partially flooded. This ability is most commonly seen in the beautiful vistas of rice paddy fields where the rice field is flooded in order to suppress weed growth and increase rice growth. One of the reasons for the rice’s aptitude for being partially submerged is its ability to grow adventitious roots. An adventitious root is a root that grows from any organ other than a root. In the case of rice, these roots grow from the stems, which enable the plants to extend their reach into a more oxygen rich area when they are flooded.