Abstract: With rapid economic and social development, water eutrophication is becoming one of the major environmental problems. Eutrophication has significant adverse impacts on flora and fauna as well as aquatic ecosystems, such as blue-green algae blooms. Allelopathy is one of the ecologically effective measures to inhibit algae. Types of submerged plants, emergent plants and floating plants that have inhibitory effects on algae were summarized. Besides, with the perspective of the inhibitory actions of algae, it was concluded that aquatic plants co-cultivated with algae, culture water of aquatic plants and organic extracts or allelochemicals are three ways to inhibit the growth of algae. Prospects for the future research on antibacterial effects and mechanisms of aquatic plants were also presented.

Key words: aquatic plant, allelopathy, inhibitory activity, algal inhibitory mode