Eichhornia azurea

Common Name(s): Rooted water hyacinth

Non-Native to Florida

This species appears on the following legally prohibited plant lists

Federal Noxious Weed List Florida Noxious Weed List Florida Prohibited Aquatic Plants List
Yes No Yes

Eichhornia azurea is also listed as a prohibited or noxious weed in Alabama, Arizona, California, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas and Vermont.

Rooted water hyacinth is a flowering perennial plant native to tropical America and often dominant over large areas in South America.

A vouchered specimen from Columbia County was recorded in the Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants. The plant also occurs in Puerto Rico.

 

Description

Rooted perennial aquatic. Leaves alternate, submersed leaves sessile, emersed leaves stalked, the stalk not inflated. Showy purple flowers above water surface on erect stems, 7-50 flowers per stalk. Flowers summer through fall.

Note: Distinguished from the more common Eichhornia crassipes by not having inflated stalks on emersed leaves.

Habitat

Coastal rivers and lakes.

Comments

Only vouchered from Columbia County, but a Federal Noxious Weed.

Florida Introduction Date

Introduced in US in 1800s; unknown when introduced in Florida.

Text from Florida Natural Areas Inventory, Invasive Species, Species Information, fnai.org, February 2015.