Composition of lipids in roots, stalks, leaves and flowers of Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms

The lipid contents of the roots, leaf stalks, leaves and flowers of Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms (water-hyacinth) were 1.6, 0.9, 14.9 and 5.7%, respectively, on a dry-weight basis. Non-polar lipids were half the total, while glycolipids and phospholipids in approximately equal proportions constituted the remainder, except in leaf stalks, where glycolipids were a larger fraction. Among the non-polar lipids, triacyglycerols predominated, except for pigments in the leaves. Monogalactosyldiglycerides and digalactosyldiglycerides were the major glycolipids. The main phospholipids were phosphatidylcholine in the roots, phosphatidylglycerol in the leaf stalks and leaves, and phosphatidylethanolamine in the flowers. The major fatty acids were palmitic and linoleic in the roots, linoleic in the leaf stalks, palmitic in the leaves, and linolenic and linoleic in the flowers.