Pontederia crassipes Mart.

Pontederia crassipes is a floating aquatic plant with very showy purplish blue flowers. It is widespread as a wild plant in all subtropical areas of the world.

Leaves are thick, waxy, rounded, and glossy and rise well above the water surface on stalks. The leaves are broadly ovate to circular, 10-20 cm in diameter, with gently incurved, often undulate sides. Leaf veins are dense, numerous, fine and longitudinal. Leaf stalks are bulbous and spongy. The stalk is erect, to 50 cm long, and carries at the top a single spike of 8-15 showy flowers. The flowers have six petals, purplish blue or lavender to pinkish, the uppermost petal with a yellow, blue-bordered central splotch. Water hyacinth reproduces vegetatively by short runner stems (stolons) that radiate from the base of the plant to form daughter plants, and also reproduces by seed. Its roots are purplish black and feathery.

Native to: Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Bolivia, Brazil North, Brazil Northeast, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, Brazil West-Central, Chile Central, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela

Submitted by: Natasha Khardina

GPS: 2.1486111, 21.5136108

Geographical region
Drainage Basin: Congo
River catchment
Water body type
Water body name
Water body part
Water body course: Middle course
Water body: tributary of
Tributary name

Type locality: Bahia, Brazil
Conservation status/IUCN Red List: Not Evaluated (NE)
Listed in CITES: No

Water Chemistry

Water information

Water type: Fresh water
Water color: Clear water
Water transparency: Medium
Concentration of sediments: High
Water temperature: 22,5-35 °C
Water flow/curent: None

Chemical parameters

pH
Conductivity
GH
KH
Dissolved Oxygen

Phytology

Plant form

Floating

Plant type

Carpeting

Plant size

30 cm

Plant growth rate

Fast

Plant light demand

High

CO2

Aquarium equipment

Pontederia crassipes can be grown in ornamental ponds, taking into account that it does not tolerate temperatures below 10°C, or even in an open aquarium, under condition that it does not shadow too much the underlying plants.

Plant care

Water hyacinth Pontederia crassipes prefers sunny positions, but adapts to any condition, even in the shade; the plants are completely floating on the watersurface, since the long black roots get their nourishment directly from the water column.

Water care

Nutrients and temperature are considered the strongest determinants for water hyacinth growth and reproduction.

It is also used very effectively in phytoremediation, particularly for the rhizofiltration of effluents contaminated by heavy metals. Pontederia crassipes is capable of bioconcentrating toxic metals such as Cr, Cu, Co, Ni, Zn, Pb, Cd, and As in its root system.