Diya Beraliya/Japan Jabara Eichhornia crassipes

Common name - Diya beraliya/Japan jabara

Botanical name - Eichhornia crassipes

Family         - Pontederiaceae

Life cycle - Perennial

Morphology

• Floating waterweed up to 65cm tall, with an extensive (up to 1m) feathery, black to purple coloured, root system.
• Leaves are round, bright to dark green and up to 5-10cm in diameter.
• Leaf stalks of young plants are swollen into spongy, bulbous structures; mature plants have elongated leave stalks.
• Flowers are light purple with a darker blue/purple and yellow centre, 4-6cm long, 3.5-5cm wide.
• Flowers are carried in dense spikes above the plant.
• Fruit capsules, 10-15mm long, containing up to 300 seeds.
• Seeds are egg-shaped, 0.5-1.5mm long.

Propagation 

• Seeds and stem fragments spread mostly by water movement.

Agricultural usage/ importance 

• Destroys native wetlands and waterways, killing native fish and other wildlife.
• Depletes water bodies of oxygen.
• Increases water loss.
• Provides breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Control method 

• Remove by hand or machine for small areas or when numbers are low, before flowering and set seeds in October.
• Large areas can be controlled with harvesters.
• In non-potable water bodies water hyacinth can be treated with 2,4D, Diquat, Amitrole and Glyphosate.