A Beauty, A Pest, and Apollo's Tears!

This beauty is the Common Water Hyacinth. The seven species of water hyacinths comprise the genus Eichhornia of free-floating perennial aquatic plants. Erect stalks support single spikes of 8-15 conspicuously attractive flowers, mostly lavender to pinkish in colour with six petals.
One of the fastest growing plants known, water hyacinth reproduces primarily by way of runners or stolons, eventually forming daughter plants. They may also reproduce via seeds. The common water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is a vigorous grower known to double its population in two weeks. E. crassipes is known as an important and pernicious invasive species.

This is a seasonal pest in wetlands, which outgrows and eventually chokes all other native plants, when not controlled. But, it is a very important member of wetland cycles. This photo is showcasing the untamed bloom of water hyacinths on the IIT-B side of the Powai lake.

Incidentally, Hyacinth was a spartan divine hero who was accidentally killed by Apollo's discuss and Apollo created the flower hyacinth from his spilled blood: it is said to be still bearing the tear-stains of the Sun-God Apollo who loved Hyacinth. The story can be found at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyacinth_%28mythology%29

Mozart even made an opera (his first true opera, by the way) called as "Apollo et Hyacinthus" at the tender age of 11 based on this tragedy!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_et_Hyacinthus