Pontederiaceae

This family is definitely associated with the aquatic habitat. Many are used to garnish ponds, both native and natural, and there are a few species native to Virginia in wet places and riverbanks.
Web Links	Pontederia cordata - pickerel-weed

	I took this picture soaking wet standing in shallow water of the Shenandoah river, after the canoe went over. I kept the camera dry. The species is Heteranthera dubia, the water star-grass.
	*This is a gathering of pickerel-weed (Pontederia cordata) in a pond below the Church of the Brethren in Bridgewater.*

	Water Hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes, is shown here as an ornamental in the Shrum garden pond. It is invasive. The picture with the cattle in it was given to me by one of our alums, Erich Steiner, showing its growth along the Durango river in Africa. Here in Virginia we buy some for our ponds and lose them at the end of the year since they cannot handle cold Virginia winters.