Eichhornia crassipes

Eichhornia crassipes originates from the Amazon basin and has been introduced worldwide due to its vigorous growth and showy flowers. In still or slow-moving warm water it produces bulbous, air-filled leaf bases that keep the plant buoyant while its root mass creates an extensive underwater habitat. Under strong light it blooms with large, orchid-like violet flowers, making it as ornamental as it is functional. Its rapid nutrient uptake makes it one of the most effective biological water purification plants available.