Practical
Plants

Hydrilla verticillata

Hydrilla

an annual or perennial member of the Hydrilla genus in the family Hydrocharitaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
annual, perennial
Spread
2 m
Fertility
Water
Flower type
monoecious
Pollinators
Water

Uses

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Used in the treatment of abscesses, boils and wounds, especially if there is debris in the wound[2]. A dried powder of the plant is applied to cuts and wounds to help accelerate healing[5].

Product or use
Detergent

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The plant is used in sugar refinery[3]. No more details are given.

Environment

Range
Cosmopolitan.
Habitat
Ponds, ditches and the bottoms of streams[2].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
aquatic
Hardiness
Zone 5+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
neutral, alkaline, very alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in early summer.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A submerged water plant, it prefers growing in alkaline water[4]. A good oxygenator for ponds, the plant forms a large mass with stems up to 2 metres long[1][4]. This is a very vigorous species which can regrow from even small sections of the plant. It has often invaded native habitats, clogging waterways and crowding out native species of flora and fauna[6]. It is considered a noxious weed in many areas[6]. Plants can be monoecious or dioecious. Dioecious plants (usually female) are triploid forms whilst monoecious plants are diploid[6]. Male flowers are released from the plant under water. They float to the surface where they release their pollen to fertilize female flowers[6].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. ? A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press ISBN 0-914294-92-X

    ↩1↩2

  3. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩

  4. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2

  5. Manandhar. N. P. Plants and People of Nepal Timber Press. Oregon. 2002-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-527-6

    ↩

  6. Diggs, Jnr. G.M.; Lipscomb. B. L. & O'Kennon. R. J Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas Botanical Research Institute, Texas. 1999-00-00 http://artemis.austincollege.edu/acad/bio/gdiggs/NCTXpdf.htm

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

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