Water-thyme profile

Water-thyme, also called Hydrilla verticillata (L. f.) Royle, is a widespread invasive aquatic plant, native to Asia. It was introduced to North America in the aquarium trade, and first escaped in Florida in 1959. It has a wide tolerance and can grow in almost any fresh or brackish body of water.

Water-thyme suits indoor water body afforestation. It is a good material of adornment aquatic animals box, often serving as a medium scene, setting grass is used. The whole grass can be used as pig feed or green manure. Water-thyme can also be used as medicine, with the effect of diuretic clearing damp.

Water-thyme picture

Water-thyme morphological characteristics

Water-thyme is a perennial plant. The stem is elongate, branching, cylindric, surface with longitudinal fine ribbed, brittle. Dormant buds are oblong ovoid; Bracts are numerous, spirally densely arranged, white or greenish-yellow, narrowly lanceolate to lanceolate. Leaves are 4-8 whorled, linear or oblong, 7-17 mm long, 1-1.8 mm wide, often with small purplish red or black spots, apex acute, margin serrate, sessile, with axillary scales; Water-thyme has 1 main vein, conspicuous.

Water-thyme flowers are unisexual, dioecious; The male flame is bract subglobose, green, surface with distinct longitudinal ribbed, apex punctate; Male flowers are solitary in bracts, extending above water when flowering, sepals 3, white, slightly inversely curving, ca. 2.3 mm long, ca. 0.7 mm wide; Water-thyme has 3 petals, reflexed spreading, white or pink, ca. 2 mm long, ca. 0.5 mm wide; It has 3 stamens, filaments slender, anthers linear, 2-4 ventricles; Pollen grains are spherical, with a diameter of more than 100 microns and a convex surface ornamentation; Male flowers are mature from the Buddha flame bud, floating in the water to bloom; Water-thyme female flame is bract tubular, green; Female flowers are 1 inbract. The fruit is cylindrical, often with 2-9 spiny projections on the surface. Seeds are 2-6, tan, pointed at both ends. Dormant bud propagation is the main plant. Flowering period is from May to October.

Water-thyme growing environment

Water-thyme grows in freshwater. Water-thyme likes a sunny environment, warm, cold resistant, in the 15-30℃ temperature range of good growth. Overwintering temperature should not be less than 4℃. 

Water-thyme distribution range

Water-thyme is widely distributed in tropical to temperate regions of Eurasia; It is distributed in Heilongjiang, Hebei, Shaanxi, Shandong, Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, Taiwan, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan and other provinces and regions in China. 

Water-thyme propagation method

Water-thyme is mainly propagated by cutting, which is usually carried out from April to August every year. The seedling can also be raised by the method of plant division.

Water-thyme's main value

Water-thyme suits indoor water body afforestation. It is the good material of adornment aquatic animals box, often serving as a medium scene, setting grass is used. The whole grass can be used as pig feed or green manure. Water-thyme can also be used as medicine, with the effect of diuretic clearing damp.