Structure |
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Click on the thumbnail to see a bigger image. |
Permission to use this image by
Rita Weber was obtained from
Kirstenbosch Botanical gardens Teachers can print it out and have students label the parts of the plant. |
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The plant |
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It is usually a free floating plant, but it can also be found on
river banks where it has taken root. |
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Flower |
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The plant flowers in summer. Each flower spike can have between 4 to 25 flowers. Each flower has six petals. The upper petal is the most attractive. It is dark blue and has a yellow spot in the centre. The other petals are all pale purple in colour. |
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Leaves and Stems |
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The leaves are dark green in colour. They are glossy and they are
shaped like small sails that easily catch the wind. This is an adaptation
to ensure it can float or "sail" away to start new colonies of
plants. Each leaf has a swollen bladder-like stalk. If you cut into this
it is spongy. This is so that the plant floats easily. The leaves form
rosettes around the stem. |
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Root system |
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It has masses of fine brown adventitious roots which are covered with root hairs. These absorb water and mineral salts |
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Reproduction |
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The plant reproduces by means of vegetative reproduction and by
seeds. Every piece of water hyacinth that breaks off is capable of
developing into a new plant. |
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