Eichornia crassipes (Water hyacinth)

Life > eukaryotes > Archaeoplastida > Chloroplastida > Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants) > Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants) > Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering plants) > Monocotyledons > Order: Commelinales > Family: Pontederiaceae

A troublesome aquatic weed, originating from South America, that clogs waterways in many parts of the world, including southern Africa.

Water hyacinth (Eichornia crassipes). [photo John E. Burrows ©]
Water hyacinth (Eichornia crassipes) at the Strandfontein Sewage Works, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa. [photos H.G. Robertson, Iziko ©]