Eichhornia azurea
Content
Description
Perennial, rooted in mud. Vegetative stem elongate, developing to and growing at the water surface; flowering stem glabrous, 8-12 cm long. Sessile leaves alternate, linear, acuminate at apex, 6-11 cm long; petiolate leaves emersed, the blade round, 7-16 cm long, 2.3-16 cm wide, with anobtuse apex and a truncate to obtuse base; petiole 11-25 cm long. Inflorescence a spike with 7-50 flowers, the inflorescence developing over several days; peduncle 1.9-15 cm long, pubescent with orange hairs; spathe obovate, 3-6 cm long. Flowers blue or white, tube 15-20 mm long, tepals obtuse to acute at apex, 13-25 mm long, with erose margins, the central upper tepal dark blue at base with a yellow spot above; upper stamens 6-20 mm long, lower stamens 15-29 mm long, anthers 1.2-2.3 mm long; ovary 2-5 mm long, stigma capitate, sparsely pilose; tristylous. Capsule about 9 mm long; seeds 1-1.8 mm long, 0.8-1.1 mm widewith 10-13longitudinal wings.