About
Water Hyacinth
Water
hyacinth is a free-floating water plant that forms large, dense mats on the
water surface. Each plant consists of several broad, waxy leaves, spongy leaf stalks
and a mass of fine, hairy roots.
Left picture from: http://www.cloca.com/lwc/wetlands_invasive.php
Leaves
Leaves are smooth, hairless and waxy.
They are generally a bright green colour and can be found with yellow edges. The
leaves are attached to thick spongy leaf stalks. The stems may grow to be 50 cm
long and contain different amounts of air, which enable the plant to float.
Stems
There are two types of stems:
- Stems can grow up to 60 cm
long, with flowers,
- Horizontal growing stems
(stolons) around 10 cm long can produce new daughter plants.
Seeds
Seeds are 1 to 1.5 mm long and
roughly egg-shaped, with ridges from end to end. They are long-lived and may
survive in mud for up to 20 years. Seeds have also remained viable over very
long periods in dry soil.
Roots
Roots are fibrous and featherlike.
In deep water, they may trail below the plant and can be up to 1 m in length.
In shallow water, the roots may trap mud or sediment.
Flowers
Flowers are 4 to 7 cm across,
funnel-shaped, light bluish-purple or dark blue with a yellow centre and have
six distinct petals. The upper petal is darker purple with a yellow mark in the
centre. Flowers can self-fertilise and are formed on upright stems with between
3 and 35 (but commonly 8) flowers on each spike.
Information adapated from:
http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/pests-weeds/weeds/profiles/water-hyacinth
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