Aerenchyma is plant tissue with large, connected air spaces between cells. It helps move oxygen through roots, stems, or leaf stalks, especially in plants growing in waterlogged, flooded, or very compact soils where normal gas exchange is limited.
This tissue is common in wetland and aquatic plants such as reeds, rushes, rice, and some water garden species. By improving internal air movement, aerenchyma helps roots keep functioning in low-oxygen conditions and can also add buoyancy in some aquatic plants.
Aerenchyma differs from ordinary spongy tissue because its air channels are usually more extensive and specifically important for survival in saturated soil or standing water. Its presence is one reason some plants tolerate overwatering better than others.
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