Araceae FAMILY

Pistia stratiotes

Edibility

1/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

All parts of the plant contain calcium oxalate crystals plus unknown toxins[ 293 Title Poisonous Plants of North Carolina Publication Author Website http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/poison/poison.htm Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent concise but comprehensive guide to toxic plants that grow in N. Carolina. It lists even those plants that are of very low toxicity, including several well-known food plants such as carrots and potatoes. ]. Ingestion, in large quantities, can cause an intense burning and swelling of the lips, tongue, and throat; nausea and vomiting. Diarrhoea may also occur[ 293 Title Poisonous Plants of North Carolina Publication Author Website http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/poison/poison.htm Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent concise but comprehensive guide to toxic plants that grow in N. Carolina. It lists even those plants that are of very low toxicity, including several well-known food plants such as carrots and potatoes. ].

Botanical Description

Pistia stratiotes is a small, evergreen perennial plant with feathery roots[ 266 Title Flora of China Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ Publisher Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. Year 1994 ISBN Description An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available. ]. Free-floating in lakes, ponds etc, the plant forms rosettes of leaves up to 10cm wide and 6cm tall with a flowering stem up to 12cm tall[ 266 Title Flora of China Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ Publisher Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. Year 1994 ISBN Description An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available. ]. The plant can spread quickly, especially in still water, to form quite extensive clumps. The plant is sometimes used locally for food, but only usually where nothing better is available. It has a range of medicinal applications and is also used as a source of organic matter and to remove toxins from polluted water. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental in the tropics and as an indoor aquatic ornamental in temperate regions.

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeTropical and subtropical areas of Africa; Asia to New Guinea and N. Australia; southern N. America, S. America, the Caribbean and Central America.

HabitatWater fields, lakes, ponds[ 266 Title Flora of China Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ Publisher Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. Year 1994 ISBN Description An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available. ]. Found in a wide range of aquatic habitats at elevations from sea level to over 1,000 metres[ 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. ].