|
Scientific Name |
Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms |
|
Common Name |
Waterhyacinth |
|
Family |
Pontederiaceae (Pickerelweed) |
|
Class |
Monocot |
|
Description |
Floating rosette, showy purple flower, propagates vegetatively by
daughter plant production |
|
US Distribution |
Gulf coast states, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Sacremento River
Delta (California) |
|
Worldwide Distribution |
Tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, native to Amazon basin |
|
Ecology |
Floating mat to rooted in moist soil, seedlings do best on mudflat or
moist soil |
|
Economic Importance |
Most important nuisance aquatic plant worldwide, and in US ($5M/yr in
Florida) |
|
Ecological Importance |
Major negative impact on aquatic ecosystems |
|
Notes |
Northern range limited by heavy freezing |
