Aquatic Plants Native to Asia and Australia

Asia and Australia consist of five ecological zones, namely tropical, subtropical, temperate, boreal, and polar. The tropical zones are localized in India, Pakistan, Myanmar, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, and Australia. These tropical zones are home to aquatic species such as Bacopa monnieri and Ottelia alismoides. The rest of Asia consists of boreal (Russia) and temperate (Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, Korea, Japan) zones. The subtropical zones are found in parts of Japan, southeastern parts of Australia, and New Zealand. These zones are home to aquatic species such as Potamogeton crispus and Hydrilla verticillata. The descriptions of several aquatic species native to Asia and Australia, including common names, botanical characteristics, distribution map, traditional uses, bioactivity, and compounds isolated, are discussed in this chapter.