Water Hyacinth - Eichhornia crassipes (Eichhornia speciosa) - family: Pontederiaceae (Pickerel-Weed Family.

[Etymology: water Middle English water, wæter, weter, Old English wæter, compare Old Saxon watar, Old Frisian wetir, weter, Frisian wetter, wiet, water, Low German water, Danish vand, Swedish vatten, Greek hydor, Sanskrit udan, water, Hittite watar, water + hyacinth Latin hyacinthus, a precious stone, a flowering plant, Greek hyakinthos, wild hyacinth, bluebell, blue larkspur, of Mediterranean origin, so called for the shape of its flower spikes].

This is a perennial floating aquatic plant that is used as an ornamental in backyard ponds. It has fleshy bright green round leaves that grow in a basal rosette. It has air-filled leaf stalks that act as natural "water-wings." In the spring and summer it produces low terminal spikes of funnel-shaped yellow-spotted lavender or white flowers. The flower spikes may grow to about eighteen inches above the water line. Following the flowers are capsules which each hold many small ribbed seeds. Native to subtropical and tropical South America. Naturalized in southeastern North America. Naturalized in warmer parts of California. At least one cultivar exists. Best cultivated in USDA hardiness zones 8-11 in North America. Not frost hardy. Reproduces by seed and vegetatively with offsets.

Other name: Floating Water Hyacinth.