Scientific name: Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms.
Family: Pontederiaceae
Synonym: Eichhornia speciosa Kunth
Bengali/Vernacular name: Kachuripana, Vangra pana (Bengali); Kachuri hena (Nokhali).
Tribal name: Kaw-sur (Marma), Dorear pena (Tripura).
English name: Water-hyacinth.
Description of the plant: An aquatic, free floating herb, sending down a large bunch of long fibrous roots from a very short leafy main stem. Leaves emerged, radical, with petioles spongy, short, very much swollen in young specimens. Leaf blades broadly ovate or rhomboid, shallowly cordate at the base, broadly obtuse at the apex. Inflorescence peduncled has 2 close bracts, lower one with a long tubular sheath and a small blade, upper one apicular, mostly tubular, almost entirely enclosed by the sheath of the flower. Flowers 10-20 cm long, expanding, very showy.
Plant parts used: Leaf.
Medicinal uses: For the treatment of goiter the plant juice is given orally and poultice of the plant externally for three months.
Distribution: Throughout the country in ditches, lakes and ponds.
Is this plant misidentified? If yes, please tell us….
