From DLMaitre@forjnk.csir.co.za Mon Nov 28 16:30:13 EST 1994
Article: 7383 of sci.bio.ecology
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From: "le Maitre, Dave" <DLMaitre@forjnk.csir.co.za>
Subject: Re: Water Hyacinth (fwd)
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Don Bass wrote:
>Friends:
>    I had suggested that John Dietling might forward my questions and
>issues concerning the water hyacinth to Ecolog, however I decided to
>subscribe and as my questions directly..
>    John Dietling has informed my that the plant and duckweed is
>currently used in Austin, Texas as a wastewater strategy.
>    The Chinese were evidently using a long fiber of the hyacinth to
>their advantage.
>    Thank you for your interest, if you should be able to response to
>any of my questions.
>    Don Bass
This plant has been a horrendous problem in South Africa but is now
reasonably under control as far as I know.  If I remember correctly (article
was in an engineering journal) it has been used extensively in Europe for
water recycling. It apparently has an exceptional ability (at least compared
to non-aquatic plants) to accumulate heavy metal ions and complexes in its
tissues. The pictures I remember showed it being grown in large shallow
dams. The plants were regularly harvested and incinerated to extract the
metals etc.

David
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David Le Maitre
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From bass@tenet.edu Mon Nov 28 16:31:25 EST 1994
Article: 7382 of sci.bio.ecology
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From: Don Bass <bass@tenet.edu>
Subject: Water Hyacinth (fwd)
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Friends:
    I had suggested that John Dietling might forward my questions and
issues concerning the water hyacinth to Ecolog, however I decided to
subscribe and as my questions directly..
    John Dietling has informed my that the plant and duckweed is
currently used in Austin, Texas as a wastewater strategy.
    The Chinese were evidently using a long fiber of the hyacinth to
their advantage.
    Thank you for your interest, if you should be able to response to
any of my questions.
    Don Bass
Collegeof the Mainland
Texas City , Texas

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 24 Nov 1994 09:58:11 -0600 (CST)
From: Don Bass <bass@tenet.edu>
To: John Louis Dettling <dettling@tenet.edu>
Cc: dperkins@tenet.edu
Subject: Water Hyacinth

John:
    I thought you might be on that list.
    Here are my issues/question related to water hyacinth.
    During the late October flood in Southeast Texas there was a huge
migration of this plant, violet flower,  pale violet, multi-blossom.
These plants came from Lake Conroe, the San Jacinto River, and Armand bayou.
    I believe that returning salinity levels have killed them.
Discussion about them rendered several interesting ideas. Their mass and
level of competition is not good news to smooth cordgrass. The hyacinths
cover up young cordgrass, I am told. The detritis is not really necessary
to nutrient rich Galveston Bay.
    I am told that nothing co-evolved with them.
    I am also told that they started in this country at the World's
Fair, in New Orleans as a garden party favor, a bowl from each table. It is
also said that a dollar or two is added to water bills in Florida, as hyaciinth
removal expense.
    A professor at A & M in Galveston told me that the plant produces
long fibers that are useful and are processed into marketable products in
China.
    Also the plant is valuable as a filter in purifying water.
    I would appreciated any information that Ecolog-List can develop.
I continue to be amazed and interested in the very unclear and irrational
definitions of trash and nusinance plants
    Could you pass this along. You might also slice me the
instructions for joining  ecolog-L
    Don

"Will Rogers Never Met Newt."



------------ End Forwarded Message -------------


From gardner@alc.com Tue Nov 29 19:05:06 EST 1994
Article: 7396 of sci.bio.ecology
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From: gardner@alc.com (Dave Gardner)
Subject: Re: Water Hyacinth (fwd)
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In article <Pine.3.89.9411271500.A26632-0100000@Joyce-Perkins.tenet.edu> Don Bass <bass@tenet.edu> writes:
>Friends:
>    I had suggested that John Dietling might forward my questions and
>issues concerning the water hyacinth to Ecolog, however I decided to
>subscribe and as my questions directly..
>    John Dietling has informed my that the plant and duckweed is
>currently used in Austin, Texas as a wastewater strategy.
>    The Chinese were evidently using a long fiber of the hyacinth to
>their advantage.
>    Thank you for your interest, if you should be able to response to
>any of my questions.
>    Don Bass
>Collegeof the Mainland
>Texas City , Texas
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Thu, 24 Nov 1994 09:58:11 -0600 (CST)
>From: Don Bass <bass@tenet.edu>
>To: John Louis Dettling <dettling@tenet.edu>
>Cc: dperkins@tenet.edu
>Subject: Water Hyacinth
>
>John:
>    I thought you might be on that list.
>    Here are my issues/question related to water hyacinth.
>    During the late October flood in Southeast Texas there was a huge
>migration of this plant, violet flower,  pale violet, multi-blossom.
>These plants came from Lake Conroe, the San Jacinto River, and Armand bayou.
>    I believe that returning salinity levels have killed them.
>Discussion about them rendered several interesting ideas. Their mass and
>level of competition is not good news to smooth cordgrass. The hyacinths
>cover up young cordgrass, I am told. The detritis is not really necessary
>to nutrient rich Galveston Bay.
>    I am told that nothing co-evolved with them.
>    I am also told that they started in this country at the World's
>Fair, in New Orleans as a garden party favor, a bowl from each table. It is
>also said that a dollar or two is added to water bills in Florida, as hyaciinth
>removal expense.
>    A professor at A & M in Galveston told me that the plant produces
>long fibers that are useful and are processed into marketable products in
>China.
>    Also the plant is valuable as a filter in purifying water.
>    I would appreciated any information that Ecolog-List can develop.
>I continue to be amazed and interested in the very unclear and irrational
>definitions of trash and nusinance plants
>    Could you pass this along. You might also slice me the
>instructions for joining  ecolog-L
>    Don
>
>"Will Rogers Never Met Newt."
>
>
>
>------------ End Forwarded Message -------------

To continue this thread on the water hyacinths.. I recall an article where
domesticated water buffalo were shipped from Guam and the Philippines to
Florida to help with water hyacinth control.  Does anyone know what 
happened to that program?  Who sponsored it?  What happened to the
water buffalo?  And what effect did they have on the water hyacinths?

As far as definitions of plants go, in earlier days, any plant that
seemed not to have any use was called a "weed"...and if it got out of
hand it was called a "nuisance plant" ...  Now, if we could figure
out a use for these plants that would be economically viable..putting
folks to work, giving them jobs, boosting an economy, then they would
get past the "weed" stigma...

my $0.02

Dave Gardner



