Malte M Bartylla

1 INTRODUCTION Some plant species can thrive in extreme environments. Underwater conditions are especially challenging to plant life since low gas-diffusion rates hamper oxygen and carbon dioxide (CO2) exchange with the environment. This restricts mitochondrial respiration and photosynthesis, respectively, potentially resulting in a severe energy and carbon shortage. Most terrestrial plant species are very flood-sensitive and cannot survive extended periods of flooding.

Abstract Flooding events are highly detrimental to most terrestrial plant species. However, there is an impressive diversity of plant species that thrive in flood-prone regions and represent a treasure trove of unexplored flood-resilience mechanisms. Here we surveyed a panel of four species from the Cardamineae tribe representing a broad tolerance range. This included the flood-tolerant Cardamine pratensis, Rorippa sylvestris and Rorippa palustris and the flood-sensitive species Cardamine hirsuta.