A good app is called picture this. Take a picture of a weed / plant and it gives you some info and other names and so on.
I've never heard of that app ill give that a try. 
About the weed, on my syndicate the whole lake bed is covered in silk weed its just not as bad in certain areas. Saying this, all the fish have very dark mouths and you can regularly see them routing about in it.
I've actually found fishing a wafter rig (Standard German) on a heli set up (bead slightly higher and rig slightly longer) whilst spreading boilies with a stick, picks out more fish and the bigger residents.
I've tried pop up presentations but had no where near the success. I also found that heavily baiting with particle whilst it did clear an area, the fish where less inclined to feed on it.
obviously this may change venue to venue but my confidence in fishing in silk weed now has sky rocketed with wafters after having seen fish actively finding them out. I also think the spread of boilies with a stick helps, as a moving carp is easier to catch than a grazing one in my experience. The biggest hurdle to overcome is the mental side when you retrieve the rig and it has silk weed on it.
About the weed, on my syndicate the whole lake bed is covered in silk weed its just not as bad in certain areas. Saying this, all the fish have very dark mouths and you can regularly see them routing about in it.
I've actually found fishing a wafter rig (Standard German) on a heli set up (bead slightly higher and rig slightly longer) whilst spreading boilies with a stick, picks out more fish and the bigger residents.
I've tried pop up presentations but had no where near the success. I also found that heavily baiting with particle whilst it did clear an area, the fish where less inclined to feed on it.
obviously this may change venue to venue but my confidence in fishing in silk weed now has sky rocketed with wafters after having seen fish actively finding them out. I also think the spread of boilies with a stick helps, as a moving carp is easier to catch than a grazing one in my experience. The biggest hurdle to overcome is the mental side when you retrieve the rig and it has silk weed on it.