Eichhornia crassipes
Family: Ponteceriaceae
Plant Description: Floating perennial to 45 cm or higher with ovate or nearly round leaves up to 15 cm wide, the petioles commonly but not always inflated functioning as floats. Flowers in spikes, bilateral, the perianth lavender with a yellow spot on the upper lobe.
Plant Trivia: Attractive flower that has become a serious pest. It is invasive. From Brazil. It is illegal to buy, sell or release this plant in the United States.
Field Identification:
Occurrence: Frequent in ponds, sloughs, streams and lakes where it forms floating mats
Bloom Period: Summer-Fall
Plant Use: Water hyacinth has been used to absorb nutrients from sewage treatment pond effluent. The dense root systems provide refuge and sprawling sites for fish, amphibian, and aquatic invertebrates.
stxflora 