Tropical Pickerelweed (Pontederia rotundifolia)

At first this looks like a starved water Hyacinth, and you might pass on to find one with a grand inflorescence. When you take a closer look you’ll see that it’s not a floating plant, but is rooted in the soil, and thus will be submerged in floods, but can also be swept away and start a new population elsewhere.

This is the first location I’ve seen this species so far in Pantanal.

Native range is Mexico to south tropical America.

Tropical Pickerelweed (Pontederia rotundifolia)

Recently updated on 16 April 2023