Pistia: Water Lettuce Wonders

Pistia is a monotypic genus in the Araceae family, represented solely by the species Pistia stratiotes, commonly known as water lettuce. Native to tropical regions - likely first recorded in the Nile basin - it forms floating rosettes of velvet-textured leaves and is valued both as an ornamental pond plant and for its roles in phytoremediation, though it can become invasive under high-nutrient conditions.