Rosmana A.P | Science | Scientific Facts

Eichornia crassipes is a kind of plants which usually can be found at waters. Usually, this plant can be found in colony. This plant known as one of weeds that usually "pollute" the waters, espescially river with it's large population. It have large population because it can reproduce itself really fast. It's large population automatically caused the surface of river being covered by their colony population.



Eichornia crassipes is also known as Water Hyacinth. Indonesian usually call it "Eceng Gondok". Although in Indonesia, the name differ in each places. This plant actually come from Amazon River, Brazil. So, this plant is not a native plants in our country.

Water Hyacinth is said as a really annoying weed. But did you know? There are a lot of function of the water hyacinth. For example, it can be made into handcrafts, fertilizer, etc. Even, Water hyacinth can be used as bricket for fuel.


A lot of handicrafts are made of water hyacinth now. It is because this plant is easily found around waters. Beside that, handicrafts that made of this plants seems to be liked by people.

Water hyacinth can be made into handicrafts. Automatically, it opens employments for people. That's mean it can decrease the number of unemployments. Beside that, it also offer a quiet high profit.

Water Hyacinth has a high reproduction and growth power. It is because this plant has an enzyme which that triggers it's highspeed reproduction and growth. Based on this, water hyacinth can be made into fertilizer for others plants. So, the plants can grows rapidly.

The most useful function of water hyacinth is it's ability to absorb the dissolved metals from water. Dissolved metal are really dangerous for organisms at large amount. Althought the amount of dissolved metal in water are low, if it's accumulate in organism's body, it can be dangerous. Water hyacinth has the ability to absorb the dissolved metal. So, the amount of dissolved metal will reduce.

Of course there are still a lot of function that can be found from water hyacinth. This functions have show that water hyacinth are not only weed. But a weed with a lot of function.