Eichhornia crassipes Mart. (Solms-Laubach) (water hyacinth)

The dense and intricate roots of water hyacinth cause individual plants to intertwine and create extensive, floating mats (Figure 4.2). Under these floating mats, the roots provide a complex structure near the surface of the water that promotes the growth of epiphytic invertebrates and algae (Figure 4.3) (Brendonck et al, 2003; Toft et al, 2003; RochaRamirez et al, 2007) and provides refuge to other invertebrates and fish (Arora and Mehra, 2003).