Water hyacinth, a member of the pickerelweed family, is a floating plant which can be grown indoors or outside. In a glass container you can see the attractive purple roots. The plants vary in size from a few centimeters to over a meter in height. The glossy green, leathery leaf blades are up to 20 cm long and 5-15 cm wide and are attached to petioles that are often spongy-inflated. Numerous dark, branched, fibrous roots dangle in the water from the underside of the plant. The inflorescence is a loose terminal spike with showy light-blue to violet flowers (flowers occasionally white) Each flower has 6 bluish-purple petals joined at the base to form a short tube. One petal bears a yellow spot. This plant was plenty in my native in the plants around us. Recently while visiting a nearby paddy field in Mysore by my residence, there is a water canal, wherein this grows well. This photograph was taken on 2nd April, 2012.
