October, 1908.] 



359 



HORTICULTURE. 



THE WATER HYACINTH. 

 By J. C. Willis. 



A little over a year ago I received an 

 unpleasant surprise, finding that a 

 number of plants of the Water Hyacinth 

 (Eichhornia crassipes) had been im- 

 ported into Ceylon. I recomme nded that 

 they be at once destroyed, this being 

 one of the most troublesome w eeds in 

 the world, but this was refused on the 

 ground that the plant (which is quite 

 true) was one of the most beautiful 

 that could be grown in a house in this 

 country. 



The plant was established, and given 

 to a number of residents. Whenever I 

 discovered it, I urged upon the owner, 

 usually with success, the necessity of 

 destroying it, and a few months ago I 

 thought that the matter was ended. 

 Now, however, I find the plant in 

 new places, and it is, I believe, even 

 being hawked in Colombo. As it is not 

 parasitic, it cannot be included under 

 the Pests Ordinance, and as the 

 plants had actually been imported, their 

 introduction could not be prevented 

 under the other Ordinance, that of 1901 

 against importation of Pests, though 

 further introduction will be prevented 

 under this Ordinance. 



Eichhornia crassipes is a member of 

 the little family Pontederiacece, and is 

 itself a South American plant, as are so 



many of the most beautiful tropical 

 flowers. From South America it was 

 first introduced to Flordia, where it has 

 become a terrible weed. With its 

 bladder-like leaf stalks (by which and 

 by its blue or whitish flowers it may be 

 instantly recognised) its floats in the 

 water like the water lettuce of Colombo 

 lake, and multiplies with great rapidity. 

 I have myself crossed wide rivers in 

 Florida where no water could be seen 

 for the masses of this plant. In many 

 places steamboat traffic has been greatly 

 interfered with. 



I have also seen the plant in Java, 

 where it covers the canals and is a 

 common weedj in the paddy fields, and it 

 has recently become so troublesome in 

 Australia that most strenuous laws have 

 had to be passed for its extirpation, 

 involving considerable trouble and ex- 

 pense to landowners. 



Weeds do not, as a rule, spread till 

 they have been some time in Ceylon, 

 but already grave risk is being run that 

 this plant should escape into the rivers, 

 lagoons or paddy fields. Every one who 

 has it in his possession should immedi- 

 ately destroy it by fire— not by throw- 

 ing it away — and impress upon anyone 

 whom he may find in possession of it to 

 do the same. If it be allowed to be dis- 

 tributed about as at present, it is sure, 

 sooner or later, to escape into a river 

 or ela, and may spread mightily and 

 cause much trouble and loss. 



