Hygrophila polysperma
Encyclopedia
Hygrophila polysperma, commonly known as dwarf hygrophila, dwarf hygro, Miramar
weed or Indian waterweed, is an aquatic plant in the acanthus family
. It is native to India
and Malaysia, and has also been introduced to the US states of Florida
, Texas
and possibly Virginia
.
It is listed on the Federal Noxious Weed List
in the US and is illegal to import and sell in a number of states including Kansas
and South Carolina
.
trade in 1945 under the name "oriental ludwigia". It is easy to grow and as such a very popular plant for the tropical aquarium. It will grow even faster in good light, a nutriment rich water / substrate and it benefits from additional CO2. May need to be pruned regularly. Propagated from cuttings. An isolated leaf will often root itself.
In India, its seeds are said to be used as a medication.
Miramar, Florida
Miramar is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. The city was named after the Miramar district of Havana, Cuba. As of the 2010 census, the population was 122,041...
weed or Indian waterweed, is an aquatic plant in the acanthus family
Acanthaceae
The family Acanthaceae is a taxon of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing almost 250 genera and about 2500 species....
. It is native to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Malaysia, and has also been introduced to the US states of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and possibly Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
It is listed on the Federal Noxious Weed List
Federal Noxious Weed Act of 1974
The Federal Noxious Weed Act of 1974 established a federal program to control the spread of noxious weeds. The United States Secretary of Agriculture was given the authority to declare plants "Noxious Weeds", and limit the interstate spread of such plants without a permit...
in the US and is illegal to import and sell in a number of states including Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
and South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
.
Cultivation and uses
Indina waterweed first appeared in the aquariumAquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
trade in 1945 under the name "oriental ludwigia". It is easy to grow and as such a very popular plant for the tropical aquarium. It will grow even faster in good light, a nutriment rich water / substrate and it benefits from additional CO2. May need to be pruned regularly. Propagated from cuttings. An isolated leaf will often root itself.
In India, its seeds are said to be used as a medication.
Further reading
- Angerstein MB, Lemke DE. 1994. First records of the aquatic weed Hygrophila polysperma (Acanthaceae) from Texas. Sida 16:365-71
- Innes WT. 1947. Hygrophila, a new aquarium plant. The Aquarium 16:30-1
- Les DH, Wunderlin RP. 1981. Hygrophila polysperma (Acanthacae). Florida Scientist 44:189-92
- Schmitz DC. 1985. Hygrophila polysperma, A review of the scientific literature. Tech. report. Tallahassee: Fla. Dept. of Natural Resources. 15 pp.
- Vandiver VV. 1980. Hygrophila. Aquatics 2:4-11