Water hyacinth (scientific name: Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms) floating. Fibrous roots, black brown. Stem very short, creeping light green. Leaves at base with rosette arrangement; leaf blade orbicular, surface dark green; petiole length ranging from within the chamber consists of many polygonal columnar cells, vascular interspersed, yellow green to green; petioles with yellow green bracts sheathlike; scape multiple spikes; usually with 9-12 flower; corolla blue purple petals, slightly zygomorphic, around the purple red, the middle 1 blue, yellow spots in the blue central base of perianth segments connate into a tube; stamens adnate to perianth tube; filaments with glandular hairs; anthers blue gray; pollen yellow; ovary long pyriform; style ca. 2 cm; stigmas densely glandular hairs. Capsule oval. Florescence 7-10 month, fruit period 8-11 month.
Brazil origin. Is widely distributed in the Yangtze River, the Yellow River and Southern China provinces. Like warm and humid, sunny environment, adaptability is very strong, with a certain degree of cold tolerance, was born at 200-1500 meters above sea level ponds, ditches and rice fields. Asian tropics have also grown. Suitable for water hyacinth in growth, often due to excessive reproduction, blocking waterways, traffic impact. Water hyacinth has been introduced in many countries, widely distributed in the world, is also one of the world's top 100 listed foreign invasion. Whole grass for livestock and poultry feed; young leaves and petioles can be used as vegetables. The whole plant can be used medicinally, cool detoxification, dehumidification and external wind heat and other effects of herpes simplex.
Floating herbs, 30-60 cm tall. Fibrous roots, black and brown, 30 cm long. Short stalk, with long stolons, stolons pale green or purplish, and the plant grow into new plants after separation.
Tufted rosette leaves at base, general arrangement, 5-10; leaf blade orbicular, broadly ovate or broadly rhombic, 4.5-14.5 cm long, 5-14 cm wide, apex obtuse or slightly acuminate, base broadly cuneate or in childhood to shallowly cordate, margin entire, with curved surface veins, dark green, shiny, thick texture, on both sides of the micro to roll up, roll top slightly downward; petiole length, central dilated into saccular or fusiform, within the chamber consists of many polygonal columnar cells, vascular interspersed, yellow green to green, smooth; petiole with sheathlike bracts, 8-11 cm long, thin and yellow green. Translucent;
Scape extending from sheathlike bracts axillary basal petioles, 34-46 cm long, multi ribbed; spikes 17-20 cm long, usually with 9-12 flower; perianth lobes 6, petaloid, ovate, oblong or obovate, purple blue corolla slightly zygomorphic, 4-6 cm in diameter, above 1 lobes larger, about 3.5 cm long, 2.4 cm wide, color is purple red around the middle, blue, 1 yellow round spot in the blue central, the rest of the length of about 3 cm, 1.5-1.8 cm wide, below 1 lobes narrow, 1.2-1.5 cm wide, base of perianth segments connate into a tube, outside near the base of the glandular hairs; stamens 6, adnate to perianth tube, 3 long and 3 short, long from the throat of perianth tube out, 1.6-2 cm long, short was born near the throat, 3-5 mm long; filaments with glandular hairs, ca. 0.5 mm, 3 (2-4) cells, swelling of the tops; Anther arrow shaped, base, bluish gray, 2 compartment, longitudinal;
Pollen long oval, yellow; ovary, long pear shaped, 6 mm long, room 3, axile ovules numerous; styles 1, ca. 2 cm, out of perianth tube part of glandular hairs; stigmas densely glandular hairs. Capsule oval. Florescence 7-10 month, fruit period 8-11 month.
