The benefits of Water lettuce for Freshwater Fish

Water lettuce or Apu-apu or Kiyambang, kapu-kapu, or driftwood become one of the multifunctional aquatic plants.

Water lettuce is a plant from the family Araceae (talas) and the only member of the genus Pistia. The leaves are green or bluish green and turn yellowish as they mature with rounded tips and slightly tapered base. The size of the leaves has a length of about 2-10 cm with a width of between 2-6 cm. The edges of the leaves are curved and have thick hairs that are soft on the surface. The leaves are thick, supple, and soft, at a glance forming a sculpture like the crown of a rose.

Water lettuce plant has long (up to 80 cm) white roots. The roots hang below the rosette and have stolons. The root hairs form a basket-like structure surrounded by air bubbles, increasing the plant's buoyancy.

This plant grows in calm water, such as lakes, ponds, swamps, to rivers where the water flow is not heavy. Grows to float on the surface of the water that is exposed to a lot of sunlight. Reproduce sexually through seeds and vegetatively through stolons. The growth and development of this aquatic plant is very fast, making it one of the easiest ornamental plants to care for. Even if allowed to grow it tends to become a weed.

the benefits of this Water lettuce plant is as an ornamental plant in the pond. In addition, this plant can also act as a water purifier, especially to absorb waste due to contamination of radioactive materials and heavy metals contained in the water. However, considering its fast growth, care is needed so that this plant does not become a harmful weed.

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