Monday, December 26, 2011

Water hyacinth

Water hyacinth are a free-floating perennial flowering aquatic plant native to tropical and sub-tropical South America. The ovate leaves are broad, thick, glossy, they are about 10–20 cm across, and float above the water surface. They have long, spongy and bulbous stalks. The feathery, freely hanging roots are purple-black. An erect stalk supports a single spike of 8-15 conspicuously attractive flowers, mostly lavender to pink in color and center blue and yellow with six petals, the flowers looks like iris.
Water hyacinth are fast-growing in fresh water, has special adaptations to allow it to grow and spread rapidly, they can withstand extremes of nutrient supply, pH level, temperature, and even grow in toxic water. The seeds are dispersed by birds and can remain viable for 15-20 years. But the main method of reproduction is vegetatively, through stolons. A single plant under ideal conditions can produce 3,000 others in 50 days, and cover an area of 600 sq meters in a year. As such they can become troublesome weeds in waterways.
In old time of Singapore, it was cultivated as pig food. Now you still can find them in some of the fresh water lake in our garden or park.

My linking to Blue Monday and Macro Monday

3 comments:

SmilingSally said...

Love this blue!

Happy New Year & Happy Blue Monday!

Giga said...

Szkoda, że ten piękny kwiat może być chwastem :-(. Zdjęcie bardzo ładne. Pozdrawiam.

It is a pity that this beautiful flower can be weeds :-(. Photo very nice. Yours.

Chubskulit Rose said...

Lovely, that's very unique!

Late visiting from Blue Monday. You may visit my BLUES when you get a chance. Advance happy new year!