| BRIEF DESCRIPTION A herb reaching 30-60 cm in height, floating free or rooting in the mud of shallow waters with broadly ovate or rhomboid leaves and inflorescences with 5-35 flowers. USES It can be used as green manure, compost and mulch for soil improvement. It can also be used as a vegetable, as animal forage, to camoflage fish traps, in the production of paper and it can be made into biogas. It is also grown as an ornamental. KILLING TEMP The leaves are killed by freezing temperetures but entire plants are not killed until the rhizomes are frozen. GROWING PERIOD Perennial. Under favourable conditions the growth is very rapid and the area under plant cover may double within a period of 6-15 days. COMMON NAMES Water hyacinth, Jacinthe d'eau, Kehpuk, Eceng gondok, Lengak, Kemeling telur, Keladi brunting, Bunga jamban, Water lily, Beda-bin, Yepadauk, Kamplaok, Tob poongz, Phal top chawa, Luc-binh. FURTHER INF Water hyacinth is native of tropical regions in South America. It has been introduced many places as an ornamental and has become a troublesome weed because of its rapid growth and formation of dense, impenetrable mats which hinder navigation and fishing, obstruct irrigation and drainage of farm lands and crowd out other plants. Its present latitudinal range is between 38°N and S. It thrives in a variety of fresh water habitats, from shallow ponds, marshes, and small streams to large lakes and rivers. However, strong wave movements may reduce growth. |
| Westphal E 1989 pp 116-118 [LIMIT, USE, TEXT, PHO, DRA, LIG, FER, TEMP, KTMP, PH] |
