absorb significant amounts of hydrocarbons due to its large surface area and hydrophobicity. As a hyper-accumulator, Pistia stratiotes has been studied as a potential candidate for wastewater treatment plants. The roots and leaves of the plant have been found to absorb excess nutrients and heavy metals, such as zinc, chromium, and cadmium in contaminated waters. Pistia stratiotes can be grown in water gardens to reduce harmful algal blooms and eutrophic conditions. The plant is able to control the growth of algae by restricting light penetration in the water column and competing for nutrients, with significant uptake of phosphorus and ammonia nitrogen. See also Phytoremediation plants Hyperaccumulators table – 3 References "Biogeography of the Pistia clade (Araceae): Based on chloroplast and mitochondrial DNA sequences and Bayesian divergence time inference" External links Centre for Aquatic and Invasive Plants Pistia stratiotes information from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR) Species Profile- Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiotes), National Invasive Species Information Center, United States National Agricultural Library. Lists general information and resources for Water Lettuce. Aroideae Monotypic Araceae genera Pantropical flora Aquatic plants Phytoremediation plants Invasive plant species in Sri Lanka