Opportunistic vegetation

Native plant species that do not typically colonise open water on their own but are able to establish and grow when conditions become favourable, such as the presence of a floating mat of invasive water hyacinth. These plants, like hippograss (Vossia cuspidata) and papyrus (Cyperus papyrus), take advantage of the structural support and altered microenvironment provided by water hyacinth to expand into areas they would not normally inhabit. (Albright, Moorhouse, and Mcnabb, 2004)