Vascular Plants of North Carolina
Account for Common Water-hyacinth - Oshuna crassipes   (Martius) A. Haines
Members of Pontederiaceae:
Only member of Oshuna in NC.
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Section 5 » Family Pontederiaceae
Author(Martius) A. Haines
DistributionMostly southern Coastal Plain; also a few Piedmont counties. First collected in NC in 1949 at a pool in Polkton, Anson County, by Radford.

Native of the Neotropics; in N.A. well established in the Southeastern states, particularly troublesome in states farther to the south of NC.
AbundanceRare. It is not known if any NC populations are self-sustaining or reproducing (data lacking on labels), but they do overwinter successfully. At least some, perhaps most, NC occurrences may have been started by discarded aquarium plants or aquatic garden plants. This species should be monitored and eradicated locally where it is invasive.
HabitatArtificial ponds, farm pond, "swampy slough near Northeast Cape Fear River", roadside wetland, "Middle Battle Park" (Orange County).
PhenologyFlowering and fruiting June-September.
IdentificationThis species is easily identified vegetatively by the rotund leaf blades whose stems are usually inflated. The large and fleshy leaves form a floating rosette, from which a conspicuous stalk of pale blue or lavender flowers grow, each with a yellow central spot. The species typically occurs in very dense stands such that it is difficult for a boat to move through it.
Taxonomic CommentsWeakley (2020) transferred it from Eichhornia crassipes to Piaropus crassipes. However, in his 2022 floras, he follows Haines, who said that the former Piaropus genus name is invalid and who coined a new genus name of Oshuna.

Other Common Name(s)
State RankSE
Global RankG5
State Status
US Status
USACE-agcp
USACE-emp
County Map - click on a county to view source of record.
Photo Gallery
photographercommentsphoto_linkcountyobsType
B.A. SorrieNew Hanover County, 1990s, Fort Fisher. New HanoverBIPhoto_non_natural