Why is xylem less developed in hydrophytes (aquatic plants)?

In hydrophytes, xylem is less developed because these plants are surrounded by water and don't need extensive water transport systems. Since aquatic plants can absorb water directly through their entire surface area, they don't face the water scarcity challenges that terrestrial plants do. The reduced xylem allows hydrophytes to develop large air spaces (aerenchyma) instead, which provide buoyancy and facilitate oxygen transport to submerged parts. This adaptation demonstrates how plant anatomy reflects environmental conditions—extensive xylem would be metabolically wasteful for plants with constant water access.