Welcome to an overview of what Economic Botany has to offer. Seeds mucilaginous when wet. Herbs with basal leaves. Plantago , plantain or rib g rass is a very common lawn weed, naturalized from Europe. The water hyacinth is native to South and Central America.
Plants float and are loosely attached to each other by stolons.
The plant typically reproduces by clonal propagation. The water hyacinth first drew attention in the US at the 1884 International Cotton Exhibition in New Orleans. The Japanese delegation handed out samples of the plant. Within 10 years, a plant that can double its numbers in 2 weeks had gone haywire throughout the US Southeast and Southeast Asia. Florida's nutrient-rich waterways are notoriously affected, not only for boat traffic but also for irrigation.