How do Alismataceae plants reproduce vegetatively through stolons and rhizomes?

Members of the Alismataceae family, which belong to the order Alismatales, utilize stolons and rhizomes as specialized vegetative structures to reproduce asexually. This natural process allows these plants to generate new individuals from the parent plant without the need for seeds.123

• Stolons: These are slender, horizontal stems—often called runners—that grow along the ground or surface. They function by producing roots and new aerial branches at specialized points known as nodes, eventually developing into independent plantlets when they make contact with a suitable surface.42
• Rhizomes: These are fleshy, elongated, horizontal stems that grow within or upon the soil. The plant multiplies as these stems branch out, allowing new growth to emerge from the parent structure.2

By using these organs, Alismataceae can propagate efficiently in their native habitats, such as shallow water, swamps, and muddy banks. This method of vegetative reproduction ensures the perpetuation of the plant, though it results in offspring that are genetically identical to the parent.132