No water hyacinth in the “lirio” this year?

[Susy Wilson]

We live right on the lake but have been gone for the last 4 1/2 months. We expected to come home to floating islands of lirio like last year but it is very “scant” so far and it seems to be entirely water lettuce and no water hyacinth:/ Anyone else notice this or know why?

[cedros]

There have been large floating islands of green plants towards the west end of the lake. I live high above the lake so I can't see what species it is. Usually later in the rainy season when they open the dams on the Lerma river a lot of liro enters the lake from there.

https://www.mexconnect.com/articles/1263-did-you-know-lake-chapala-under-attack-from-water-hyacinth/

[happyjillin]

Water hyacinth is lirio so any plants or plant "islands" you see "floating" on the lake is lirio.

 

[dichosalocura]

I guess the real question is, how many different varieties of "lirio" float on Lake Chapala and how many have the classic purple flower?

[cedros]

6 hours ago, dichosalocura said:

I guess the real question is, how many different varieties of "lirio" float on Lake Chapala and how many have the classic purple flower?

That is the real question different species get mixed together and it is confusing and the plants can have different vegetative and flowering phases 

 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325202627_Aquatic_Plants_Pistia_stratiotes_L_and_Eichhornia_crassipes_Mart_Solms_An_Sustainable_Ecofriendly_Bioresources_-_A_Review

[happyjillin]

Good grief! If it floats like lirio it is lirio and that's what we have on the lake.

 

[Susy Wilson]

LOL...while the water plants on the lake are called lirio here collectively, they each have a real name. Here they are grouped together and called lirio. The majority of water plants on the lake are commonly called water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and water lettuce ( Pistia stratiotes). Water hyacinth have the purple flowers. Water lettuce does not. They are both common plants used in ornamental water features in the US. The plants currently on the lake are primarily water lettuce and only a small amount of water hyacinth so far that I can tell. We have a layer about 15 ft wide on our lakefront now so I have checked out what is here and not from a long distance away. 

Last year there was way more at this time of the year. I realize the amounts of the water plants (lirio) probably varies from year to year as does the lake level but since I only have one years experience I thought I would ask. Foolish of me I see:/ We live on the west end and do not have much here at all. I have not seen large "islands" of it yet at all even with the wind blowing from the east. 

If it floats like lirio does that mean all the plastic bottles are lirio as well because there is plenty of them floating on the lake too:/ 

 

 

[Floradude]

Normally the vast majority are lirio (water hyacinth).  In my 17 years I have only seen the purple blooming lirio.  Yes, there are water lettuce also but not anywhere the number of the lirio.  Interestingly I used to pay money to get both of these plants for my koi/goldfish pond in Seattle every spring.  I also have a nice view of the lake and I have seen only a few smaller rafts of plants so far this year.   I have not yet been down to the Ajijic pier to check out the water level and the plants.

[Bisbee Gal]

30 minutes ago, Floradude said:

Normally the vast majority are lirio (water hyacinth).  In my 17 years I have only seen the purple blooming lirio.  Yes, there are water lettuce also but not anywhere the number of the lirio.  Interestingly I used to pay money to get both of these plants for my koi/goldfish pond in Seattle every spring.  I also have a nice view of the lake and I have seen only a few smaller rafts of plants so far this year.   I have not yet been down to the Ajijic pier to check out the water level and the plants.

I walk the Ajijic malecon daily.  The water level remains below the old wall.  Lirio as others have stated, is controlled by the wind.  Mostly it's been spotty but there was a rather large mass one day this week. 

Official lake levels are here, https://www.ceajalisco.gob.mx/contenido/chapala/chapala/comportamiento.html

Our wonderful local weather site https://www.ajijicweather.com/index.htm maintains a live weathercam. 

Sometimes you can spot the lirio.  Direct link to weathercam https://www.ajijicweather.com/lakecam.htm

[cedros]

18 hours ago, Susy Wilson said:

We live right on the lake but have been gone for the last 4 1/2 months. We expected to come home to floating islands of lirio like last year but it is very “scant” so far and it seems to be entirely water lettuce and no water hyacinth:/ Anyone else notice this or know why?

The lake level is almost a meter lower than this time last year. Probably less water is coming in from the Lerma river (where much of the plant material comes from) so far. I was hiking above Piedra Barrenada this morning and you could see large patches of Lirio/water lettuce. The amount of each plant in a specific area can depend on the lake level and wind direction.

[Susy Wilson]

There is easily more than twice as much lirio visible from our location on the lake and a higher percentage of water hyacinth too so I should have just been patient and waited:) I imagine there will be plenty soon!