- Cleaning the water - (1)
Water hyacinth/ Aguapé – Eichhornia crassipes
.Scientific Name: Eichhornia crassipes
.Popular Names: Water hyacinth, Baroneza, Camalote, Water hyacinth, Murumuru, Mururé, Pareci, Peacock, Queen of the lakes
.Family: Pontederiaceae
.Category: Aquatic Plants, Floating Plants
.Climate: Equatorial, Subtropical, Tropical
.Origin: Central America, North America, South America
.Height: 0.1 to 0.3 meters
.Luminosity: Full Sun
.Life Cycle: Perennial
An aquatic and floating plant, the Water Hyacinth ( Aguapé) is very ornamental. However in some situations of overpopulation it can become a problem in lakes. With round, large and shiny leaves, the Water hyacinth multiplies quickly. Its inflorescence composed of beautiful purplish blue flowers resembles that of the hyacinth.
In landscaping, the Water hyacinth is used to populate lakes and water mirrors, favoring aquatic life, especially fish. It should be grown in full sun in naturally fertile, pH-corrected water.
The species originates from freshwater bodies in the warm tropical regions of South America, with a natural distribution in the Amazon and Rio de la Plata basins. It is used in phytoremediation and as a medicinal plant, soil fertilizer and ornamental plant, although it is considered a dangerous invasive species in tropical and subtropical regions.
It is considered one of the fastest growing plants known, in most cases reproducing vegetatively through stolons that are released from the mother plant. In Southeast Asia, cases were reported in which the population spread 2 to 5 m per day. There are data known to indicate that, in optimal situations, the number of plants doubles every two weeks. The invasive capacity of the species derives in large part from its ability to self-clone, producing large floating masses of plants all with the same genetic makeup.
The species tolerates air and water temperatures ranging from 10 °C to 35 °C, but does not grow below 12 °C or above 33-35 °C.
It is naturalized in vast areas of tropical and subtropical regions on all continents and is included in the list of the 100 most dangerous invasive alien species in the world published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Despite this, it can be used in phytoremediation operations, being one of the most studied species for this purpose due to its purifying characteristics and ease of proliferation. As the species obtains from the water all the nutrients it requires for its metabolism, as nitrogen and phosphorus, together with potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, ammonium, nitrite, sulfate, chlorine, phosphate and carbonate ions,which are the more important.
It has a root system, which may have associated microorganisms, which favors the purifying action of the plant.
In general, these plants are capable of retaining in their tissues a wide variety of heavy metals, including cadmium, mercury and arsenic. The mechanism of retention of these ions is based on the formation of complexes between the heavy metal and the amino acids present in the cells.
Taken in a small fountain at Botanic Garden/ Rio de Janeiro
- Better if viewing large-
On Explore: May 4, 2022
- Cleaning the water - (1)
Water hyacinth/ Aguapé – Eichhornia crassipes
.Scientific Name: Eichhornia crassipes
.Popular Names: Water hyacinth, Baroneza, Camalote, Water hyacinth, Murumuru, Mururé, Pareci, Peacock, Queen of the lakes
.Family: Pontederiaceae
.Category: Aquatic Plants, Floating Plants
.Climate: Equatorial, Subtropical, Tropical
.Origin: Central America, North America, South America
.Height: 0.1 to 0.3 meters
.Luminosity: Full Sun
.Life Cycle: Perennial
An aquatic and floating plant, the Water Hyacinth ( Aguapé) is very ornamental. However in some situations of overpopulation it can become a problem in lakes. With round, large and shiny leaves, the Water hyacinth multiplies quickly. Its inflorescence composed of beautiful purplish blue flowers resembles that of the hyacinth.
In landscaping, the Water hyacinth is used to populate lakes and water mirrors, favoring aquatic life, especially fish. It should be grown in full sun in naturally fertile, pH-corrected water.
The species originates from freshwater bodies in the warm tropical regions of South America, with a natural distribution in the Amazon and Rio de la Plata basins. It is used in phytoremediation and as a medicinal plant, soil fertilizer and ornamental plant, although it is considered a dangerous invasive species in tropical and subtropical regions.
It is considered one of the fastest growing plants known, in most cases reproducing vegetatively through stolons that are released from the mother plant. In Southeast Asia, cases were reported in which the population spread 2 to 5 m per day. There are data known to indicate that, in optimal situations, the number of plants doubles every two weeks. The invasive capacity of the species derives in large part from its ability to self-clone, producing large floating masses of plants all with the same genetic makeup.
The species tolerates air and water temperatures ranging from 10 °C to 35 °C, but does not grow below 12 °C or above 33-35 °C.
It is naturalized in vast areas of tropical and subtropical regions on all continents and is included in the list of the 100 most dangerous invasive alien species in the world published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Despite this, it can be used in phytoremediation operations, being one of the most studied species for this purpose due to its purifying characteristics and ease of proliferation. As the species obtains from the water all the nutrients it requires for its metabolism, as nitrogen and phosphorus, together with potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, ammonium, nitrite, sulfate, chlorine, phosphate and carbonate ions,which are the more important.
It has a root system, which may have associated microorganisms, which favors the purifying action of the plant.
In general, these plants are capable of retaining in their tissues a wide variety of heavy metals, including cadmium, mercury and arsenic. The mechanism of retention of these ions is based on the formation of complexes between the heavy metal and the amino acids present in the cells.
Taken in a small fountain at Botanic Garden/ Rio de Janeiro
- Better if viewing large-
On Explore: May 4, 2022