Eichhornia crassipes

Botanical name : Eichhornia crassipes (Mart) Solms-Laub.
Family : Pontederiaceae

SANSKRIT SYNONYMS
Plavaka, Ulpala, Plavakolpala

AYURVEDIC PROPERTIES
Rasa : Madhura, Tikta
Guna : Guru, Rooksha
Virya : Seeta

PLANT NAME IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES
English : Water hyacinth
Hindi :
Malayalam : Muttappayal, Kulavazha, African payal, Neerpola

Distribution – In water lodged waste lands. Throughout India.

PLANT DESCRIPTION
A rapidly spreading floating water plant. Leaves simple, in a whorl, rhomboid, petiole swells to form an air filled capsule, root are aeranchymatous hairy and long. Flowers in long terminal spike, violent-blue colored, showy. Fruits are cylindrical, contain many seeds.

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES
Plant pacifies vitiated pitta, swelling, goiter, burning sensation, hemorrhage, and general debility.
Useful part : Whole plant.