common water hyacinth
The common water hyacinth (E. crassipes) is the most widely distributed species. Its leafstalk is spongy and inflated, and the upper lobes of the purple flowers have blue and yellow markings. It reproduces quickly and often clogs slow-flowing streams. It is used as an ornamental in outdoor pools and aquariums.
TITLE: angiosperm: Leaf modifications
SECTION: Leaf modifications
...plants that grow on the surfaces of other plants (epiphytes), such as some of the bromeliads, absorb water through specialized hairs on the surfaces of their leaves. In the water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), swollen petioles keep the plant afloat.