Question

‘Water hyacinth’ which is a free floating weed and infests India’s waterways choking off plants, fish and animal growth is a native of:
A. Australia
B. France
C. South America
D. North America

Answer 1

Hint: Water hyacinth has beautiful flowers and leaves. It is a non native plant which was introduced in West Bengal. As it spreads progressively if it is not checked, it causes the death of many fish because it takes off oxygen from water. It became invasive in Bengal and hence, also called ‘’terror of Bengal’’.

Complete answer
Water hyacinth is an invasive plant that belongs to the family Pontederiaceae. It is a native to the Amazon basins of South America. Water hyacinth is one of the fastest growing plants that can multiply hundred times in about two weeks. When it is not controlled, the plant forms a layer over the aquatic bodies. The sunlight does not reach the aquatic plants and they die. As the decay process increases, there will be further depletion of oxygen and other organisms also die after sometime. Fishes are mostly affected due to depletion of oxygen in water. Hence, water hyacinth is an aggressive invasive plant.
The water hyacinth is used for many industrial purposes. The stems of water hyacinth are used for making fibers. These fibers are dried and joined to form a braid which in turn is used for making hats, mats, footwear, vases and other decorative objects. Because of its beautiful purple flowers with yellow markings, it is used for ornamental purposes in pools and aquariums. The plant is used for bio cleaning of industrial waste because of its capacity to accumulate heavy metals such as cobalt, nickel, chromium etc. It can be used for sewage treatment as the plant can absorb the inorganic substances present in the sewage

Thus the answer of the above question is option (C) South America.

Note: Water hyacinth is a free-floating aquatic plant with thick and glossy leaves. The hanging roots are purple-black in color. It reproduces vegetatively by means of runners. Thousands of seeds are produced every year. As they have more viable periods, they grow very fast.