# Lego's Emersed Growth Experiments



## legomaniac89

So last summer, I grew a few aquatic plants outdoors in full sun and they did excellent. Now I have the itch to try more species for next year, and I'll try to document my progress here. I am currently acclimating the plants I have to emersed life and I'll eventually harden them off of high humidity so I can move them outside when the weather warms up again.

*Current species list:*
_-Gratiola aurea
-Gratiola brevifolia
-Ludwigia peploides
-Ludwigia senegalensis
-Staurogyne repens
-Staurogyne sp. "Bihar"_










I have quite a few more species pending, but I'm waiting until after the holidays to have them shipped to me, this way they don't get held up any longer than they should be.

If you have any uncommon or rare species you'd like to share with me, let me know.


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## Cavan Allen

Nice start. I think having things orderly is the way to go. I may have another _Gratiola_ for you in a while.


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## legomaniac89

Thanks Cavan!

I got a big shipment of new species in today and got them all planted earlier.

_-Alternanthera reineckii "Rosaefolia"
-Cardamine lyrata
-Eleocharis "Belem"
-Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides
-Hygrophila corymbosa "Angustifolia"
-Limnophila "Guinea Broad Leaf"
-Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata "Cuba"
-Pogostemon erectum
-Polygonum praetermissum "Ruby"
-Rotala macrandra "Butterfly"
-Rotala macrandra "Green"
-Sphaerocaryum malaccense
-Staurogyne "Porto Velho"
-Syngonanthus "Belem"
-Syngonanthus "Manaus"
-Tonina fluviatilis "Lotus Blossom"_

I may or may not keep all these. Plants without a true species ID and species that are relatively rare in the hobby are going to be my main focus in this project.


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## JustLikeAPill

I'll be interested to know how the Syngonanthus and Tonina turn out!

PS: Let me know when you want to sell some Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides


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## The Fish Junky

What was it that you kept originally last year and did well?


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## legomaniac89

JustLikeAPill said:


> I'll be interested to know how the Syngonanthus and Tonina turn out!
> 
> PS: Let me know when you want to sell some Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides


Me too! I don't think I've ever personally seen either of those 2 grown fully emersed before, so I'm excited to see how they turn out. If the _Hydrocotyle_ is anything like the others I've grown, I'll have an overabundance of it in a couple months 



The Fish Junky said:


> What was it that you kept originally last year and did well?


I had _Bacopa madagascariensis_, _Eleocharis "Belem"_ and _Hydrocotyle verticillata_ last year. The _Bacopa_ specifically impressed me and flowered constantly. Here's a quick shot of it last year.


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## Luwen

May i ask you a question, what type of soil did you used in your emersed culture setup thanks...


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## legomaniac89

Regular old Fertilome Potting Soil


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## Luwen

thanks sir.


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## ghostmonk

Nice start Lego. I have been growing a few of these emerged for a few months now. The rotala, ludwigia and staorogynes should not be any issue.


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## legomaniac89

Thanks! I've grown a number of these emersed before, I just never really got serious about it till now. Everything's acclimated well to emersed life, with the exception of one or two. Here's the full list as it stands now:

-Aciotis sp.
-Acmella americana
-Alternanthera reineckii "Rosaefolia"
-Cardamine lyrata
-Eleocharis "Belem"
-Eriocaulaceae "Type II"
-Gratiola aurea
-Gratiola brevifolia
-Hemianthus micranthemoides
-Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides
-Hygrophila "Araguaia"
-Hygrophila corymbosa "Angustifolia"
-Hyptis lorentziana
-Limnophila "Guinea Broad Leaf"
-Limnophila repens "Mini"
-Limnophila "Wavy"
-Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata "Cuba"
-Ludwigia peploides
-Ludwigia senegalensis
-Ludwigia xlacustris
-Murdannia sp. "Red"
-Pogostemon erectum
-Polygonum praetermissum "Ruby"
-Polygonum "Kawaegoneum"
-Polygonum "Sao Paulo"
-Rotala hippuris
-Rotala indica
-Rotala "Gai Lai"
-Rotala macrandra "Butterfly"
-Rotala macrandra "Green"
-Rotala macrandra "Japan Red"
-Sphaerocaryum malaccense
-Staurogyne repens
-Staurogyne "Porto Velho"
-Syngonanthus "Belem"
-Syngonanthus "Manaus"
-Tonina fluviatilis "Lotus Blossom"

I have the 20 long as I posted above, plus I set up a 105 liter rubbermaid tub to hold the excess. I have another big tub (120 liters, I think) I'd love to set up for this as well, but I have no room and no extra lighting for any more at the moment.


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## looking4roselines

How about you post pictures of them?


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## JustLikeAPill

That would really, really be appreciated because emersed plants can look radically different, and that can make choosing plants for wabi-kusa a chore. I've had a rough time with it.


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## matt12

must see pics!!!!!!!!!


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## legomaniac89

Haha, it's really not much to look at as a whole, plus it's really hard to get a good picture of everything without a nice wide-angle lens. If there's a specific plant you'd like to see, I'd be more than happy to post a couple pics, but shots of the entire setups from the inside of the tank are pretty hard to get.


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## Cavan Allen

_Ludwigia peploides_? That thing can be a beast! Are you sure you're ready?

Just as a note, I discovered that the current and correct species name for the _Acmella_ is _A. repens_. Same plant, but a pretty confusing taxonomic history.


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## legomaniac89

Cavan Allen said:


> _Ludwigia peploides_? That thing can be a beast! Are you sure you're ready?
> 
> Just as a note, I discovered that the current and correct species name for the _Acmella_ is _A. repens_. Same plant, but a pretty confusing taxonomic history.


Haha, yeah I'm planning on giving the _Ludwigia_ lots of room once I get it outside. I have a 50g pond I'm setting up this spring and it'll probably be given free reign in there.

_A. oppositifolia var. repens_? I thought that might have been it, but I wasn't sure. After I got the plant, I was surprised to find out it's in the _Asteraceae_ family, same as the daisies and sunflowers.


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## Cavan Allen

legomaniac89 said:


> _A. oppositifolia var. repens_? I thought that might have been it, but I wasn't sure. After I got the plant, I was surprised to find out it's in the _Asteraceae_ family, same as the daisies and sunflowers.


It was under that name for a while. Basically, the specimen designated as the type for _A. oppositifolia_ turned out to be something else, if I remember correctly. I can get you the citation if you like.

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...etails.php?id=339&category=genus&spec=Acmella


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## jshoker

I really like your setup. very clean for an immersed one!


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## legomaniac89

Cavan Allen said:


> It was under that name for a while. Basically, the specimen designated as the type for _A. oppositifolia_ turned out to be something else, if I remember correctly. I can get you the citation if you like.
> 
> http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...etails.php?id=339&category=genus&spec=Acmella


Ah, ok. I will never understand taxonomy 



jshoker said:


> I really like your setup. very clean for an immersed one!


Thanks!


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## Cavan Allen

legomaniac89 said:


> Ah, ok. I will never understand taxonomy


I can explain this one, but I don't want to hijack your thread. I'll start another thread soon.


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## legomaniac89

Cavan Allen said:


> I can explain this one, but I don't want to hijack your thread. I'll start another thread soon.


You got me curious now. Hijack all you want. Mi hilo es tu hilo .


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## legomaniac89

The first flowers from my emersed tanks

_Aciotis sp._










_Ranalisma rostrata_










And this has nothing to do with my experiments, but this is _Paphiopedilum Hsinying Web x Macabre "Black Eagle"_, the coolest orchid I own


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## Cavan Allen

Nice! That Aciotis is really something, isn't it? Keep some of that going...

Got any stuff without a proper name? Specimens lead to IDs.


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## Tex Gal

The blooms are just beautiful. Don't you just love this hobby!!!


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## PaulG

Very cool info in this thread, I never realised so many plants could be grown emersed.

I'm currently planting up a small riparium, some great ideas in here!


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## legomaniac89

Thanks guys! Here's the full list as it stands now.

-Aciotis sp.
-Acmella repens
-Alternanthera reineckii "Rosaefolia"
-Bacopa "Colorata"
-Bacopa "Japan"
-Bacopa salzmannii
-Cardamine lyrata
-Cuphea anagalloidea
-Eleocharis "Belem"
-Gratiola aurea
-Gratiola brevifolia
-Hemianthus glomeratus
-Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides
-Hygrophila "Araguaia"
-Hygrophila corymbosa "Angustifolia"
-Hygrophila pinnatifida
-Hyptis lorentziana
-Limnophila "Guinea Broad Leaf"
-Limnophila rugosa
-Limnophila "Sulawesi"
-Limnophila "Wavy"
-Lindernia "India"
-Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata "Cuba"
-Ludwigia peploides
-Ludwigia senegalensis
-Ludwigia xlacustris
-Murdannia "Red"
-Nesaea triflora
-Penthorum sedoides
-Pogostemon erectum
-Polygonum hydropiperoides
-Polygonum praetermissum "Ruby"
-Polygonum "Kawaegoneum"
-Polygonum "Porto Velho"
-Polygonum "Sao Paulo"
-Rotala hippuris
-Rotala indica
-Rotala "Gai Lai"
-Rotala macrandra "Butterfly"
-Rotala macrandra "Green"
-Rotala macrandra "Japan Red"
-Rotala mexicana "Araguaia"
-Rotala mexicana "Goias"
-Rotala "Thailand"
-Sphaerocaryum malaccense
-Staurogyne repens
-Staurogyne "Porto Velho"
-Tonina fluviatilis "Lotus Blossom"


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## novianto.sutardi

can i see the setup of your tank [smilie=h:


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## WeedCali

any updates?? Id like to see some pics, mainly of the H. Pinnatifida


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## legomaniac89

I'll post some updated pics soon. The H. pinnatifida hasn't done a whole lot of growing since I moved it outside. I think it's just taking a while to acclimate.


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## legomaniac89

My emersed growth experiments are flourishing. Seriously. I found 2 flowers tonight, and tons of buds forming on some pretty cool species._ Hygrophila "Araguaia", Limnophila rugosa, Cardamine lyrata_, and _Gratiola brevefolia_, just to name a few. Here's a couple flowers so far.

_Alternanthera reineckii_










_Tonina fluviatilis "Lotus Blossom"_










_Echinodorus "Kleiner Bär"_










I'll be posting more pictures very soon I hope.


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## Cavan Allen

Very nice! Any luck getting fruit on the _Lindernia_?

Have you tried any _Syngonanthus_?


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## legomaniac89

Cavan Allen said:


> Very nice! Any luck getting fruit on the _Lindernia_?
> 
> Have you tried any _Syngonanthus_?


Yes sir. I have several very tiny fruit forming on the _Lindernia_, and I have a couple flowers being pressed for you now.

So far, I'm 1 for 5 with the _Eriocaulaceae _family. That _Tonina_ is the only one I've been able to successfully convert to emersed life. I've tried 3 _Syngonanthus_ and _Eriocaulaceae Type 2_, and none of them did much of anything before finally dying off.


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## legomaniac89

_Gratiola brevefolia_










_Limnophila rugosa_










And no, the plants aren't actually fuzzy. The neighborhood Cottonwoods are going crazy right now and sticking to everything.


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## legomaniac89

A few more from my emersed experiments

_Polygonum "Kawagoneaum"_










_Gratiola brevefolia_










_Cardamine lyrata_










_Nesaea triflora_


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## Axelrodi202

How about satisfying us by not posting these spams? 

Lego, some seriously nice stuff you got there. Your photography is outstanding, and your plants are pretty amazing too. All those flowers are beautiful!


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## legomaniac89

Ok time for a big update. I've been on a planted tank hiatus lately, but my emersed grow-out project is still going strong. I've only lost a couple species overall, and the rest are doing absolutely phenomenal. Things are growing and flowering much better than I expected, and I am very pleased with how some of these are doing.

_Gratiola brevefolia_










_Gratiola aurea_










_Lindernia "India"_ - these flowers are so tiny I can't get a decent shot of them










_Limnophila "Sulawesi"_



















_Hygrophila "Araguaia"_










_Ludwigia "Red"_ - originally from Manini










_Nesaea triflora_










_Bacopa "Colorata"_


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## Cavan Allen

Well done! You're growing some great plants, and the photos are beautiful. I image we'll be seeing some of them in the PF soon.

In return for some specimens, I will send you some _Gratiola viscidula_. I'm almost certain the _Lindernia_ is _L. rotundifolia_. Any fruit yet? The _Bacopa_ should be relatively easy to ID. Does it have an odor like _B. caroliniana_ at all?

P.S. It's _G. brev*i*foli_a.


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## legomaniac89

Thanks Cavan! I have a few of the _Lindernia_ pressed for you already. I'm going to make specimens out of a few others for you if you want them (_L. "Sulawesi", H. "Araguaia", L. "Red"_) and send them all at once. The Lindernia's flowers are maybe 4mm across. So small my macro lens can't take a decent picture without a very wide aperture. But it does flower prolifically.

About the _Bacopa_, I haven't grown _B. caroliniana_ for years, so I honestly can't compare the odor. It does have a citrus-like scent that most _Bacopa_ have though. By the way, any clues on the real identity of _B. "Japan"_? I have a pot full of it, but no flowers yet. I'll be happy to send a few stems your way if you'd like to experiment with it.

I should have a few species of _Polygonum_ with flowers for you as well. Both _P. "Kawagoneum"_ and _"Sao Paulo"_ are flowering profusely right now.


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## Cavan Allen

The 'Japan' could be _B. innominata_, but that's only a guess (with the possible execption of _B. monnieri_, there are no _Bacopa_ there). If the corolla is white, that could be telling. I collected some of that species to cultivate and compare, but unfortunately, it melted. 

Thanks for making the specimens. Getting fruit for them really helps.

I wonder if the 'Colorata' is really _B. caroliniana_. Could be. Again, it shouldn't be that hard to ID. The _Hygrophila_ though...a tough one. Very tough.


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## asukawashere

This is the sound of me being jealous. I'm sure you can hear it halfway across the country. Your emersed collection is gorgeous, lego, and the photos are even more so!

I know how tiny those _Lindernia sp. 'India' _flowers are! I took one look at mine and said, "forget it!" My camera's not _that_ good. On the other hand, if you're looking for a _Lindernia_ with gorgeous and big-enough-to-see blooms, try _L. grandiflora._ I've got a small specimen of it, the flowers are a rich, dark purple with white accents and, as the name implies, somewhat larger than the other _Lindernia_ species I've had a chance to flower.

As for the _Ludwigia sp. 'Red'_ - am I mistaken, or isn't the petal-less flower usually indicative of _L. palustris_?


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## bsmith

Excellent thread!

Have you tried Trithuria sp? If not and if you were interested in trying it I would be happy to send you a plant if you cover postage. 

Just LMK.


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## legomaniac89

Thanks guys!

Asuka - I had _L. grandiflora_ at one time, but it tried to take over my _Cryptocoryne_ tank, so I was forced to get rid of it. As for the _Ludwigia_, my experience with flowering them is limited to just this summer, so I really don't have any idea. I'm sending a couple specimens to Cavan so he can take a look at them though.

Bsmith - I'm 0/5 with the _Eriocaulaceae_ family so far. However, I haven't tried any _Trithura_ or _Eriocaulon_ yet, so I wouldn't mind giving them a try at some point. My space for these during the winter is pretty limited though, so I may need to hold off till next spring unless I can find myself another space for plants


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## Cavan Allen

Looking at the plant labeled _Cardamine lyrata_ in post #35, I see something that looks more like it's from Plantaginaceae (formerly a 'scroph'), not Brassicaceae or a _Cardamine_. But I'm not really sure what it is! Do you remember where you got it?

Flowers would look like this, with four petals arranged in a cross, hence the old family name, Cruciferae (the source of the term cruciferous, as in cruciferous vegtables). 
Like so:
http://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/a..._Plants/Media/Html/Fact_sheets/cardamine.html


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## legomaniac89

Huh, interesting. That came from a friend, but I have no clue where he got it originally. I never did any research on it because I figured that's what it was. I send you a couple stems of that along with the rest of the plants if you like. I can tell you that it has a strong citrus-minty odor when the leaves are crushed, if that helps at all.

I'll try to get some better shots of the flowers. Those aren't the greatest pics I've ever taken.


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## legomaniac89

Some better shots



















Also, _Ludwigia x lacustris_


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## Cavan Allen

Hmm..... Kinda looks like a _Lindernia_. Let me check something.


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## Cavan Allen

I think that may be _Lindernia crustacea_.


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## legomaniac89

That does look quite similar. Oddly enough, it grows more like a _Cardamine_ or _Hydrocotyle_ than a _Lindernia_. Underwater, it's an invasive rampant vine that takes over everything, but it's a bit more manageable emersed.

It makes a rather interesting tea as well


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## alanyusupov

very interesting


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## DutchMuch

sorry to resurrect.
Its sad that photo bucket has ruined the internets photos. 
I just wanna see the pics man


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