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The Esthwaite waterweed (Hydrilla verticillata) belongs to Hydrocharitaceae (the Frogbit family). It is a perennial herb that is distributed from East Asia to South Asia, Australia, as well as Eastern and Southern Europe and the central-eastern Africa. It grows in bodies of water up to 5 m deep, such as lakes, marshes, and waterways. The stem is slender and elongated, with many nodes, from which 3 to 8 slender, dark green leaves grow in a whorl. It is dioecious; from early summer through fall, it produces flower stalks from the leaf axils and blooms. It is an "hydrophilous flower", meaning pollination occurs on the water's surface. In Taiwanese Chinese, it is called "水王孫", and "K藻" (hei zao) in Chinese.
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