# ID Hitchhiker



## gsparsan (Jan 9, 2009)

I have been gathering terestrial moss plants and see which ones can adapt under water. On one of them, I later noticed another small plant. This plant has a grip on the moss and is actually doing quite well under water. This plant has been under water for 3 weeks. The leaves are continuing to grow. Can anyone ID this plant? If it can live under water, I have a lot more like there from where I got the moss.


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

Hello gsparsan,
it looks much like Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides, Lawn pennywort, to me. This small and long-creeping species is native to tropical and subtropical Asia and Africa, including Mauritius and Réunion, and introduced elsewhere (e.g. southern U.S.), often weedy: http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?102107 
But I don't know if other similar plant species occur in Mauritius. 
There are different experiences with aquarium suitability of H. sibthorpioides. Maybe there are several populations with different ability to submersed growth, and You have caught a suitable one (if it is actually H. sibthorpioides).
In what kind of habitat(s) have You found the mosses and plant?


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi gsparsan,

I checked on the Plantfinder forum here at APC, I think miremonster is correct that it is HYDROCOTYLE SIBTHORPIOIDES. Here is a link to check for yourself.http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plantfinder/details.php?id=142


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## gsparsan (Jan 9, 2009)

miremonster said:


> In what kind of habitat(s) have You found the mosses and plant?


I found it in my brother's yard. He lives in high plains which is cooler and very humid. His backyard is almost covered with all sorts of moss and this plant must have been among them. Its summer now so it gets a lot of daylight. Next time I go there I will collect some more.

From the literature, this seems to be a demanding plant with high light and CO2. At the moment I have it in an external tank with lots of daylight but no CO2. Next time I collect them, I will put some in my main tank and see how it does there.

I'm really happy I managed to get some new plant varieties for my aquarium. I also found Hydrocotyle Verticillata in his yard growing in his lawn. He considers them a nuisance and keeps removing them. I found a picture on this forum in somebody's tank and I knew I have seen it somewhere. I tried a small plant in my tank and it is doing well, with several new shoots.

The plants sold in lfs here are really limited. I will keep trying new plants. I know I can relly on experts here to guide me.


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

Hello gsparsan, 
ok, very interesting! The Hydrocotyle in the lawn may be another species than H. verticillata because there are many similar hydrocotyle spp. with peltate leaves in the world, and H. verticillata is native to the Americas. E.g. H. bonariensis is frequent in many tropical/subtropical regions.

Btw., Fissidens palmifolius occurs in flowing water in southern Africa, Réunion and Mauritius (according to the revision of Fissidens Subg. Octodiceras, Pursell 1987). This moss is very similar to Fissidens fontanus.


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## gsparsan (Jan 9, 2009)

Do you have a picture or link to a picture of Fissidens palmifolius? I can't find one online.


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

I don't find pictures of this species in the www as well. According to R. A. Pursell 1987, Fissidens palmifolius differs only in few inconspicuous details from the well-known Fissidens fontanus (not occurring on Mauritius) from which You can find many pictures online. Both species belong to the subgenus Octodiceras, a small group within the huge genus Fissidens. All 6 Octodiceras species are true water mosses with the appearance of F. fontanus: delicate, soft-textured, feather-like mosses with very narrow leaflets. 
F. palmifolius occurs submerged in slow to fast flowing streams, attached on rocks or other substrates. Maybe rather inconspicuous in its habitats. Leaflets to ca. 7 mm long (so a single shoot may be up to ca. 1 cm wide).
Waters or swamps may be interesting in terms of aquatic or amphibious mosses in general, not only Fissidens palmifolius.


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