JBCLM | 2010-2026
7. Hydrophytes
The appearance of this installation is reminiscent of old watering troughs, where water flowed almost continuously, offering small shelters where communities of algae and other aquatic plants thrived.
In a series of interconnected large planters, several species of strictly aquatic native plants from Castilla-La Mancha have been installed. This setup allows visitors to observe up close the submerged flora typical of freshwater habitats. Among the species in this collection are Chara globularis, a green alga, as well as Zannichellia pedunculata and Potamogeton pectinatus.
The two native water lilies of the region are also featured: the yellow water lily (Nuphar lutea) and the white water lily (Nymphaea alba). The white water lily is rare in the region, occurring only in two locations: the River Bullaque (Ciudad Real) and the lakes of El Tovar (Cuenca).
These submerged plant communities are possibly some of the most threatened in the Mediterranean area due to overuse of water resources, habitat loss, pollution, and the introduction of invasive species. Interestingly, these planters also host midwife toad tadpoles (Alytes obstetricans subsp. pertinax), freshwater snails (Physa), and other invertebrates such as dragonflies and aquatic bugs (Plea minutissima, Notonecta, Naucoris maculatus, among others).
The design of this installation recalls old watering troughs, where water flowed almost continuously, providing small refuges for algae and other aquatic plants. The aim of this recreation is to showcase the capacity of native aquatic plants to oxygenate water, make it suitable for animal use, and even reduce mosquito populations, thanks to the larvicidal properties of charophytes and the continuous flow of water.
