Habit: Pontederia crassipes grows as a free-floating herbaceous succulent that roots at the nodes. The leaves alternate with an inflated elongate spongy petiole to 40 cm in height. The lamina elliptic to suborbicular.
The complete, perfect, actinomorphic flowers are arranged in sessile many flowered spikes that emerges from a spathe like structure. The perianth has 6 fused, pubescent purple blue tepals. There are 6 pubescent stamens fused to the perianth tube. The ovary is superior and has 3 locules and many ovules. The fruit is a capsule.
Habitat: Pontederia crassipes grows in Human Altered environments (yards, gardens, ponds) but does escape into Fresh Water Wetlands.
Distribution: Pontederia crassipes is NOT native to the Lucayan Archipelago. It has been observed on New Providence. It is native to Brazil but is now widespread in tropical and subtropical regions.
Medicinal/Cultural/Economic usage: Pontederia crassipes is not known to be used medicinally in the Lucayan Archipelago.
It is used as an ornamental but escapes cultivation into natural areas as an INVASIVE SPECIES.