# Question on terminology growing plants out of water



## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

We often see the word emersed, variously spelled, which we generally understand to mean a plant that's been grown out of water as opposed to a plant grown under water, or submersed.

But I was trying to look that up, in some botanical dictionaries, and could not find it. I found 'emergent' as a term for parts of a plant that have grown above the water level, where the rest of the plant is submersed.

There is the word immersed, but that means the same thing as submersed, which is basically to cover with water. 

So if emersed is a word, how is it spelled correctly, for one, and for another, is it a word or a term that's sort of evolved from emergent ?

I know, picky of me, but this kind of thing has always been an interest of mine. Words and spelling and meanings, etc.


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

It is my understanding that submersed is the whole plant under water. Emersed is the roots under water and maybe a bit of the stem.


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

I know what we think emersed means. What I want to know is if the term is correct and then how to spell it properly. I've seen it spelled immersed, which is totally different word, emmersed, emerrsed.. etc. And I can't find it in any of the dictionaries I consulted.
So I wonder if it a term that has been coined to describe this growing method, and hasn't yet made it into a dictionary.
It's the way my mind works.. it gets hung up on these annoying little details.


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## bob123 (Dec 31, 2009)

Immersed means the plant is grown totally submerged underwater.
Emmersed is not a word found with a definition.
The term that should be used for plants that are grown with their roots grown in water is Hydroponics.


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

So let's just add a new word to the dictionary then


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

Plants grown "emmersed" such as all Tropica plants may not even have roots in water when being propagated. When we speak of plants that have emergent growth, it is often different from what the plant is like beneath the water.Sounds like emmersed is a term that has been coined.


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

That it's a term that's been coined to describe what the nurseries are doing is what I'm beginning to think. 

Emergent is a known term, but only that the part of the plant growing above water level is referred to as being emergent growth.

That isn't the same as growing plants in very wet soil and very high humidity, or even in marginal pond conditions, where the root system is under water but the green growth is above water. Growth in air certainly does often result in very different leaf forms and growth habit than the same plant would exhibit if it was grown totally immersed, or submerged, in water.

It would be useful if it were added to a dictionary of botanical terminology, since there is no defined English word at this time that describes this type of growth. I wonder if one can submit words to dictionaries for consideration ?


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## Green Wet Thumb (Aug 31, 2013)

Actually, emersed is a rather old word. Not sure what dictionaries you were consulting, but try this link...

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emersed


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

And there we have the answer finally!


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