# Blyxa ID?



## 2ManyHobbies

I picked this up a few weeks ago labeled as Blyxa sp. Spiral. The flowers are very similar to the flowers I have on my B. japonica and aubertii. I will try to get a picture of the flower, one is coming soon. Any ideas what species it might be?










You can see the. B japonica for comparison. It is quite tall with quite extensive root system.


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## Seattle_Aquarist

Hi TooManyHobbies,

Doesn't look like a Blyxa to me. It looks more like a Vallisneria, possibly Vallisneria spiralis.


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## HeyPK

Definitely Vallisneria. In fact, the picture might be useful for the PlantFinder entries we are trying to produce for Vallisneria species. Let Cavan Allen take a look at it.


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## miremonster

But:


2ManyHobbies said:


> The flowers are very similar to the flowers I have on my B. japonica and aubertii. I will try to get a picture of the flower, one is coming soon.


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## HeyPK

Blyxa flower:









Vallisneria flower (female):


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## doubleott05

dude thats a jungle val


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## miremonster

@2ManyHobbies: Does it make runners?


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## 2ManyHobbies

miremonster said:


> @2ManyHobbies: Does it make runners?


Nope- It has been in the tank for over a month and no runners yet. My other vals send out runners within days of planting.

I really need to find that flower stalk tonight. I saw it what I moved them last night. Might be another day or so before it blooms.

I have never had a val bloom for me. Blyxa species all the time.

My japonica propogates like rabbits so I am expecting to see this one split soon. Then again my aubertii took about 2-3 months to split. These leaves are also very smooth, much softer than the spiralis I have had in the past. I will look at the leaf edges tonight to see if they are serrated.


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## James0816

I have two of the same and labeled as such too.

Propigates via a shoot that forms from the middle of the plant best I can tell. Definately haven't seen any type of runners. Haven't noticed if they've sent up any flower stalks or not though. I'll have to get a better look.


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## 2ManyHobbies

Flower on its way...looks to me more like a blyxa flower.










Looks like it is in some sort of pod that needs to open up to release the flower before blooming.


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## HeyPK

that is a Vallisneria flower, and it is about as open as it gets. The part behind the flower is the ovary, and it is filled with ovules waiting to be fertilized. I have had extensive experience with _Vallisneria _that includes getting the female flowers fertilized by the floating male flowers and later collecting the seeds and growing them in sterile culture.


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## miremonster

HeyPK said:


> that is a Vallisneria flower, and it is about as open as it gets. The part behind the flower is the ovary, and it is filled with ovules waiting to be fertilized. I have had extensive experience with _Vallisneria _that includes getting the female flowers fertilized by the floating male flowers and later collecting the seeds and growing them in sterile culture.


I'm not sure. IMHO it could also be a typical Blyxa flower still enclosed in the spathe. We'll see


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## HeyPK

This picture shows several unopened flowers of Blyxa japonica flowers that have not reached the surface, yet.


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## Seattle_Aquarist

Hi TooManyHobbies,

Very interesting; if that is a Blyxa I think this will be the first time I have seen that species.


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## 2ManyHobbies

The small flower bud is growing towards the end of the pod and should emerge soon. 

Now, I just need to make sure my 3 year old does not play in the tank from behind on the stairs and break it off!


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## HeyPK

The flower is as open as it is going to get. The white parts are the three stigmas, the female parts that receive the pollen. This flower has rudimentary petals and green sepals. This is a very nice closeup of the _Vallisneria_ flower by asukawashere. 









What you are calling the pod is the three fused ovaries of the flower. If fertilized, this part will enlarge and become a fruit with a large number of seeds inside.

The Blyxa flower, in contrast has three prominent petals and a rather small ovary. The stem of the flower is not spiraled. The flower pokes straight up out of the water. It has both sexes: carpels (female) and stamens (male). _Vallisneria_ has male plants that produce male flowers and female plants that produce female flowers.


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## miremonster

This is what I believe to see in 2ManyHobbie's pic:


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## asukawashere

I love how you labeled that glare spot, miremonster...

On another note, I artificially sharpened the image in hopes that it might help someone spot a detail that will point definitively to an ID:


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## miremonster

Glare spot - OK thx, I didn't know the usual English word for that.
If really Blyxa, the flower would grow out of the spathe and then look like in Paul's Blyxa flower pic on p. 1. For Blyxa ID => pressed specimen of the plant with flowers as well as fruits with seeds.


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## asukawashere

miremonster said:


> Glare spot - OK thx, I didn't know the usual English word for that.
> If really Blyxa, the flower would grow out of the spathe and then look like in Paul's Blyxa flower pic on p. 1. For Blyxa ID => pressed specimen of the plant with flowers as well as fruits with seeds.


Calling it a light reflection is perfectly fine in English - I was more amused by the fact that you labeled it at all... 'cause all the other labels are about the anatomy of the plant... oh, never mind, I have a weird sense of humor. XD


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## pisis pet shop

hola a todos y me perdonan pero esa si es una blyxa spiral porque el dijo que las flores son similares a las otras blyxas y aparte de eso yo tambien tengo de ellas !saludos!


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## miremonster

asukawashere said:


> Calling it a light reflection is perfectly fine in English - I was more amused by the fact that you labeled it at all... 'cause all the other labels are about the anatomy of the plant...


Now I realize, it's funny indeed 
I labeled it because with the spot the (IMO) tip of the spathe looks similar to an open female Vallisneria flower.


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## miremonster

pisis pet shop said:


> hola a todos y me perdonan pero esa si es una blyxa spiral porque el dijo que las flores son similares a las otras blyxas y aparte de eso yo tambien tengo de ellas !saludos!


Do You have informations where the plant comes from? Is there a certain nursery or company that brings it to market?


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## HeyPK

It is time for another picture of the flower.


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## 2ManyHobbies

All right gang- here are a few bad pictures of the bud. Still no open flower yet.










The flower emerged from the spathe but the bud does not appear to be open yet.

It is quite small and I am certainly no expert how to use my SLR to capture very small objects. If anyone has some advice please PM me. Here are a few others (blurry!)


















Wait and see for now!


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## miremonster

The flower should open soon. IMO reddish sepals and the tips of white petals are visible.


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## 2ManyHobbies

I am really surprised that it has not opened by now.


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## James0816

keep it lightly misted.


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## Yo-han

My guess until the flower proves otherwise: Vallisneria sp. 'Asiatica'

http://www.tropica.com/en/plants/plantdescription.aspx?pid=056A

Vallisneria spiralis is a straight leaved plant although the name suggests otherwise.


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## 2ManyHobbies

Quick update-

The flower up and rotted off. The spathe is still intact and appears to be hardening up. Is this where the seeds could be forming? No sign of runners off the main plant. I will wait until the spathe is done maturing before I take a closer look at the base. 

Oh well- until next time!


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## miremonster

And did the flower look like that in Paul's pic?
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/133/404059692_f4397e8c9f.jpg


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## 2ManyHobbies

Not really, it never opened up completely. Looking at the whole stem including the spathe it looks remarkably like the B. aubertii that is growing next to it.


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## miremonster

2ManyHobbies said:


> Not really, it never opened up completely.


OK, but apart from the opening, had it the long white petals as in Blyxa flowers? Or looked it rather like Paul's Vallisneria flower pic? I believe, not all readers here are already assured that the "Spiral" is a Blyxa indeed.


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## 2ManyHobbies

miremonster said:


> OK, but apart from the opening, had it the long white petals as in Blyxa flowers? Or looked it rather like Paul's Vallisneria flower pic? I believe, not all readers here are already assured that the "Spiral" is a Blyxa indeed.


You are absolutely right.

The flower petals did not leave the petal covers/bud. Make sense? The bud opened just slightly for a few days then rotted off. No white flower petals extended from the bud as in the Blyxa picture. But it also did not look like the Vallisnaria sp. picture. Don't know if it was a humidity/nutrient/other issue. I have to two more spathes coming right now that I saw last night. I am anxious to see if they flower any different. Stay tuned-


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## 2ManyHobbies

Quick update:

This plant is growing insane. It started around 12" tall and has now blossomed to almost 4'.










No runners as you can see by the base. New leaves in the center mass are much lighter than the surrounding leaves. 


















Lots of blossoms that do not finish. Don't know if this is a humidity or nutrient issue. Root systems are quick extensive.

Plant sucks up a ton of nutrients. If someone is interested in trying to help ID this plant contact me.


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## AzFishKid

WOW that is a cool plant. It really does look like a Blyxa sp.


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## bigstick120

Sure looks like a Blyxa to me. Did it lose it spiral?


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## 2ManyHobbies

The spiral at the top of the plant is quite pronounced. The top half has quite a twist to it. Anyone want to try one out?? These things are sucking the nutrients and CO2 out of the tank!


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## UAHUA

Take a look at these and see if they look like your plant. The leaves appear to be wider than yours but it's hard to tell by the pics.

http://www.rva.ne.jp/plants/ro-blyxa_kimberiey4308-.html


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## 2ManyHobbies

Wow- awesome link. yes- it does look quite similar. 

I still cannot believe that for as long as I have grown these I have not had them split in one way or another. Both my other Blyxa's split quite often and there are no runners like there are with my vallisnaria sp's I have in the same tank. Does anyone know something about the "Kimberly" species?


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## UAHUA

I believe "Kimberley" refers to the region in Australia where these are found. The same as Erio Kimberley. I believe after looking at the pictures some more that this indeed the plant you have. I would love to see this plant become available to the hobby as it is a very interesting looking plant.


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## miremonster

Thx for the rva link! "HBD" on the label means "Hans Barth, Dessau", so the plant in the rayon vert pic was apparently sold in Germany. I remember that a Blyxa aubertii "Kimberley" was on a stocklist of the nursery Oliver Krause, Dessau, but at that time I had no clue about the plant.


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## catwat

2ManyHobbies said:


> Wow- awesome link. yes- it does look quite similar.
> 
> I still cannot believe that for as long as I have grown these I have not had them split in one way or another. Both my other Blyxa's split quite often and there are no runners like there are with my vallisnaria sp's I have in the same tank. Does anyone know something about the "Kimberly" species?


I got a Blyxa 'Kimberly' from Manini about three years ago and it hardly ever split. It grew to somewhere between 3-4ft in length/height. It reproduces by seeds, although I never once saw a seed pod. After I pulled a mother plant from one of my tanks, baby plants sprouted everywhere.


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## UAHUA

catwat said:


> I got a Blyxa 'Kimberly' from Manini about three years ago and it hardly ever split. It grew to somewhere between 3-4ft in length/height. It reproduces by seeds, although I never once saw a seed pod. After I pulled a mother plant from one of my tanks, baby plants sprouted everywhere.


Do you still keep this plant? I'm very interested to try this plant out at some point and I have never seen it offered until the OP posted his for a RAOK and of course I was a day late. I hope this plant will start showing up in the hobby as it would make a good choice for a background plant similar to vals without having runners popping up everywhere. I may have to pm Manini and see if he still keeps this plant.


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## catwat

Sorry, I only have one plant at the moment. I usually toss out the seedlings as these plants get huge. It is really a simple plant to grow and an alternative to Cyperus helferi or Vals as it grows fast and never runs. You just have to have a deep tank or have plants that don't require much light under it as it will shade quite a bit of your tank. Try pm'ing Manini. He uses it in quite a few of his scapes. I've seen the base get to be about the diameter of a softball and would probably get larger if you let it.
If you check out post number 40 in Manini's random scapes thread http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=168077&page=3 you can see it in the scape with the weird algae globes. It's the plant in the background on the left. Hopefully he sees this thread an can add more pictures and insight into growing this plant.



UAHUA said:


> Do you still keep this plant? I'm very interested to try this plant out at some point and I have never seen it offered until the OP posted his for a RAOK and of course I was a day late. I hope this plant will start showing up in the hobby as it would make a good choice for a background plant similar to vals without having runners popping up everywhere. I may have to pm Manini and see if he still keeps this plant.


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## ddavila06

the the "kimberley" id seems promising!... can we agree it is in fact blixa kimberley?


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