WATERHYACINTH 



Eichornia crassipes Mart. 



Waterhyacinth is a native of tropical America and was probably 

 introduced in the United States as an ornamental. As an escapee it 

 has become an exceedingly troublesome species by clogging waterways 

 of the Southern States. Its attractive blue-purple flowers and 

 characteristic bulbous leaf stem with rounded leaf blade make it easy 

 to identify. The plant is usually found floating on the surface of ponds 

 and quiet streams and growing on mudbanks. This plant spreads 

 vegetatively by horizontal stem growth and rooting at the nodes to 

 produce new plants that develop into mats covering large areas. The 

 capsule-like fruits contain many seeds that provide for extensive spread 

 of the species in suitable climates. 



Fortunately for Western irrigation systems, this plant is unable to 

 withstand temperatures of Northern latitudes and is only occasionally 

 found in Western States of milder climates. Waterhyacinth has been 

 locally abundant in a few localities in California for a number of years, 

 but has apparently been kept in check and is seldom reported as an 

 aquatic weed in areas of Water and Power Resources Service activity. 



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