54-HYDRILLA VERTICILLATA
Local name: Water thyme
Family: Hydrocharitaceae
Location: In front of Department of Botany
Characters: The stems grow up to 1–2m long. The leaves are arranged in whorls of two to eight around the stem, each leaf 5–20 mm long and 0.7–2 mm broad, with serrations or small spines along the leaf margins; the leaf midrib is often reddish when fresh. It is monoecious (sometimes dioecious), with male and female flowers produced separately on a single plant; the flowers are small, with three sepals and three petals, the petals 3–5 mm long, transparent with red streaks. It reproduces primarily vegetatively by fragmentation and by rhizomes and turions (overwintering), and flowers are rarely seen. They have air spaces to keep them upright. Hydrilla has a high resistance to salinity compared to many other freshwater associated aquatic plants.
General use: Hydrilla is known to have many digestive and health benefits. The plant contains vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, as well as being useful for fighting indigestion. The plant is also known for its extremely high concentration of calcium, vitamin B-12, iron and magnesium. As such, the plant has become an extremely popular superfood.