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Common water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)

Dlium Common water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)

Common water hyacinth (Pontederia crassipes) is a species of plant in the Pontederiaceae, a free-floating perennial aquatic herb with wide, thick, glossy, ovoid leaves and can rise up to 1 meter above the water surface.

P. crassipes has leaves 10-20 cm in diameter on stems which float in bulb-like nodules that float above the surface of the water. Hairy roots, purple-black and hanging freely. Stems long, supple and round. Stems erect to support 8-15 flowers, mostly lavender to pink with 6 petals.





Habitats range from tropical to subtropical deserts or warm and semi-desert to rainforest zones. Minimum growth is at 12C (54F), optimal growth is 25-30C (77-86F) and maximum growth is 33-35C (91-95F). pH tolerance 5.0-7.5. Leaves die in frost and do not tolerate water temperatures over 34C (93F).

This species does not grow in an average salinity greater than 15% seawater (5g/kg salt). Leaves show epinasti and chlorosis in brackish water and eventually die.

Water hyacinth grows in shallow ponds, wetlands and swamps, slow flowing water, lakes, water reservoirs and rivers. These plants can adapt to extreme changes in water level, water currents, nutrient availability, pH, temperature and toxins in the water.

The rapid growth of water hyacinth is mainly due to water containing high nutrients, especially those rich in nitrogen, phosphate and potassium. Salt content can inhibit growth as occurs in lakes on the coast of West Africa where it will increase during the rainy season and decrease when the salt content rises during the dry season.

This plant contains hydrogen cyanide, alkaloids, triterpenoids and can cause itching. Plants sprayed with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid can accumulate lethal doses of nitrates and other harmful elements in polluted environments.

One of the fastest growing plants known, water hyacinth reproduces primarily via stolons which eventually form new plants. Each plant can also produce thousands of seeds every year and these seeds can last more than 28 years. Hardy plant and mats can double in size in one to two weeks. They multiplied more than a hundred times in a matter of 23 days.

The roots naturally absorb several organic compounds which are believed to be carcinogenic in concentrations 10,000 times that of the surrounding water.

A series of studies showed that within 24 hours it absorbed cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni) and chrom (Cr). Chrom (Cr) can be maximally absorbed by water hyacinth at pH 7 where Cr drops to 51.85 percent. Plants also absorb pesticide residues. This species removes arsenic from drinking water.

This plant is an excellent source of biomass. One hectare of plants produces more than 70,000 m3/ha of biogas. One kg (2.2 lb) of dry matter can produce 370 liters (13 cu ft) of biogas, a heating value of 22,000 kJ/m3 (590 Btu/cu ft) compared to pure methane (895 Btu/ft3).

Farmers dry the crop as fuel and the ash is used as fertilizer. One ton of dried water hyacinth produces about 50 liters of ethanol and 200 kg of residual fiber (7,700 Btu). One ton of bacterial fermentation produces 26,500 ft3 of gas (600 Btu) with 51.6% (CH4), 25.4% (H2), 22.1% (CO2), and 1 .2% (O2).

Gasification of one ton of dry matter by air and steam at high temperatures (800C or 1,500F) produces about 40,000 ft3 (1,100 m3) of natural gas (143 Btu/ft3) containing 16.6% H2, 4 .8% CH4, 21.7% CO, 4.1% CO2 and 52.8% N2.

This plant is used for furniture, handbags, baskets, rope and household items, wicker, interior products and paper. This plant is used as a carotene-rich table vegetable. Flowers are used for horse skin medicine.

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Commelinales
Family: Pontederiaceae
Genus: Pontederia L. in Sp. Pl.: 288 (1753)
Subgenus: Oshunae
Species: Pontederia crassipes Mart. in Nov. Gen. Sp. Pl. Bras. 1: 9 (1823)

HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS

Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms in A.L.P.P.de Candolle & A.C.P.de Candolle, Monogr. Phan. 4: 527 (1883)
Eichhornia speciosa Kunth in Enum. Pl. 4: 131 (1843)
Oshuna crassipes (Mart.) A.Haines in Bot. Notes 16: 5 (2021)
Piaropus crassipes (Mart.) Raf. in Fl. Tellur. 2: 81 (1837)

HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS

Eichhornia cordifolia Gand. in Bull. Soc. Bot. France 66: 294 (1919 publ. 1920)
Eichhornia crassicaulis Schltdl. in Abh. Naturf. Ges. Halle 6: 177 (1862)
Heteranthera formosa Miq. in Linnaea 17: 60 (1843)
Piaropus mesomelas Raf. (1837)
Pontederia crassicaulis Schltdl. (1862)
Pontederia elongata Balf. in Proc. Bot. Soc. Edinburgh 1855: 50 (1855)

PUBLICATIONS

Knapp, W.M. & Naczi, R.F.C. (2021). Vascular plants of Maryland, USA. A comprehensive account of the state's botanical diversity. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 113: 1-151.

Nurtjahya, E. & al. (2026). Flowering Plants of Bangka Island: Native and Introduced. Acta Botanica Hungarica 68: 127-156.

Sharief, M.U. (ed.) (2024). Flora of India 28: 1-764. Botanical Survey of India.

VERNACULAR NAME

Afrikaans: Nyllelie, Waterhiasint, Snotterbel
Arabic: ورد النيل سميك الساق
Burmese: ဘီဒါဘင် - ယေပါဒေါက် Beda-bin, Ye-padauk
Catalan: Jacint d'aigua
Chinese (Simplified): 凤眼蓝 - 水葫芦
Chinese (Traditional): 布袋蓮 - 鳳眼藍 布袋蓮
Czech: Tokozelka nadmutá
Danish: Vandhyacint
Dayak: Ilung-ilung
Dutch: Waterhyacint
English: Common water hyacinth, Nile lily, Water hyacinth
Filipino: Water lily
Finnish: Kellusvesihyasintti
French: Jacinthe d'eau
German: Dickstielige Wasserhyazinthe
Hebrew: איכהורניה עבת רגל
Hindi: जलकुंभी Jal Kumbhi
Hong Kong: 鳳眼藍 - 布袋蓮
Hungarian: Közönséges vízijácint
Indonesian: Eceng gondok
Italian: Giacinto d'acqua
Japanese: ホテイアオイ - 布袋葵
Java: Eceng gondok, Kembang bopong
Kannada: Antara taavare, Antaragange
Khmer: កំប្លែង Kâmplaôk
Korean: 부레옥잠
Lampung: Ringgak
Lao: ໂຕບ ປອງ Tôb pong
Lithuanian: Paprastoji skiaustmenė
Macao: 鳳眼藍 - 布袋蓮
Malayalam: Kulavazha, Kakapola Malaysia: Keladi bunting, Kemeling telur, Bunga jamban
Manado: Tumpe
Manipuri: Kabokkang, Kabokang
Melayu: Kelipuk
Mizo: Dum-awr-puar
Nepali: जलकुम्भी Jal Kumbhee
Oria: Bilathi dala, Kajaropati
Palauan: Bungelralm
Palembang: Kelipuk
Polish: Pontederia gruboogonkowa
Portuguese: Aguapé, Gigoga, Jacinto-d'água, Jacinto-de-água, Orelha-de-burro
Russian: Эйхорния толстоножковая
Sanskrit: Jalakumbhi, Variparni
Slovak: Plaváčik nafúknutý
Spanish: Buchón de Agua, Camalote, Lila de agua, Lila de caño, Lirio acuático sudamericano
Swedish: vattenhyacint
Taiwan: 布袋蓮
Tamil: வேங்கையாத்தாமரை - வெங்கயத்தாமரை Vengaayatthaamarai, Venkayattamarai
Telugu: Budaga tamara, Gurra pudekka moka, Pisachi tamara
Thai: ผักตบชวา
Ukrainian: Понтедерія товтоніжкова

Aryo Bandoro
Dlium TheDlium
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