- Eichhornia azurea is a rooted perennial aquatic plant. It has long stems which grow to reach the surface of the water. It is native to parts of Central and South America.
- Leaves are alternate along the stem. Submersed leaves are sessile while emersed leaves are petiolate. The petiole is never inflated as with Eichhornia crassipes.
- Flowers are held on erect stems above the surface of the water. There can be from 7 to as many as 50 flowers per stem. Each flower blooms for only a day. Flowering can occur from summer through fall.
- Each flower can produce 10 to 13 small winged seeds.
- Ecological Threat
- Eichhornia azurea grows rapidly and can very quickly form expansive mats of floating plants, completely covering even large lakes. This complete coverage of the surface of the water blocks sunlight and depletes the oxygen available to the rest of the aquatic community. It can make the body of water uninhabitable by other aquatic organisms. Eichhornia azurea is listed as a noxious weed in the United States. It has only been reported in Florida.
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EDDMapS Distribution - This map is incomplete and is based only on current site and county level reports made by experts, herbaria, and literature. For more information, visit www.eddmaps.org
State Invasive List - This map identifies those states that list this species on their invasive species list. For more information, visit Invasive.org
Invasive Listing Sources
|Common Name Reference:|| USDA, NRCS. 2010. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.|
|Scientific Name Reference:||USDA, NRCS. 2010. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.|