Eichhornia paniculata
Content
Description
Annual, rooted in mud. Vegetative stem short; flowering stem glabrous, erect, emersed, up to 55 cm tall, the upper internode 0.8-2.7 cm long. Sessile leaves forming a basal rosette, linear to oblanceolate, acuminate at apex; petiolate leaves emersed, the blade cordate, acuminate to acute at apex, 7.5-15 cm long, 3.5-9 cm wide; petiole up to 60 cm. Inflorescence a panicle with 50-100 flowers, usually fewer in number on young plants, developing over several days; peduncle sparsely glandular-pubescent, 11.5-17.5 cm long; spathe linear, 13-35 mm long, the apex acuminate. Flowers blue or white, tube 8-10 mm long, tepals acute to obtuse at apex, 12-15 mm long, the central upper tepal with two yellow spots toward the base; upper stamens 2.5-3.5 mm long, lower stamens 5.1-8.5 mm long, anthers 0.9-1.3 mm long; ovary 1-3 mm long, stigma 3-lobed, pilose; tristylous. Capsule 6-8 mm long; seeds 0.6-1.0 mm long, 0.6-0.8 mm widewith 10-12longitudinal wings.
Distribution
Botanic Garden in Georgetown cultivated, Guyana present, Jamaica present, Nicagarua present, Northeastern Brazil present, Southern America: Paraguay (Paraguay present)
Northeastern Brazil with isolated populations in Nicagarua, Jamaica, Guyana and Paraguay; 19 collections studied, 5 from Guyana, probably as escapes from the Botanic Garden in Georgetown