# Eriocaulon?



## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

I went to a plant nursery today and I was pleasantly surprised to see a few rare plants in the process. Well hidden between other plants and not available for sale, but they were trying at least. Think of Bucephalandra species and I found one tray of plants labelled Eriocaulon. No species name but the owner of the nursery was 100% sure it was an Eriocaulon but didn't knew the species either. It had totally different leaves compared to anything I know. I took one home to try it out off course and I also took photos of one having (not yet opened) flowers. Nothing like the white balls on top of long stalks as I know, but I'm not very familiar with Eriocaulaceae except setaceum and cinereum and Wikipedia tells me the list is long.

What do you guys think?


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

That's a _Hygrophila _!


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

Wow, thats a huge Hygro. I think that the biggest plant was about 1,5 feet width! I think that is why he said it was an easy plant Thanks Cavan!


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

If the corolla is white, there's a good chance that's _Hygrophila costata_.


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

Yes they're white. At least on the outside. None were open at the time. Costata looks very much like it, so I think you're right


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## RickvdT (Aug 3, 2013)

If seen this plant before labeled as eriocaulon.
http://www.aquaplant.nl/cmm/catalogus/frontend/aquaplant/catalogus_view.php?artikel_id=2203&lang=en

I didn't actually try it submerse because of a lack of space for it. However I've grown it emerse and my best guess is Hygrophila sp. Sarawak. Leaf shape and flowers seem to match pretty well with the pics in the link below but I'm not entirely sure. One thing I am sure of is that it is not an eriocaulon.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=166944


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

I must say that even though I've seen plenty of IDs that were off the mark, confusing _Hygrophila_ with _Eriocaulon_ is... wow.


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

I think I see the confusion, they are both plants!


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

Well, to hijack my own thread;I found myself wanting some Eriocaulon after this plant. Bought a seteceum and another one. How to properly ID Eriocaulons? I'm quite sure it is an Eriocaulon (damn the buoyancy they have) but I don't this it is the species it was labelled:


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

Eriocaulon parkeri or sp. Colas maybe? Seems to look the most like it from the 'common' Eriocaulons


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Spongy, septate roots, a net-like pattern to the leaves, usually cespitose. Inflorescences compact heads of tiny white flowers on long scapes, involucral bracts with a tiny black gland. 

To really id them properly, you need fertile specimens, at least a general idea of where it came from, a good microscope and a good key. Eriocauls are often _very _ difficult to identify. Pics of sterile sumbersed plants? Hmmm...


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

I can't answer the last question from almost 1 year ago, but back to the funny "Eriocaulon" in the aquaplant.nl database:

http://www.aquaplant.nl/cmm/catalogus/frontend/aquaplant/catalogus_view.php?artikel_id=2203&lang=en
I've gotten that plant from a Dutch nursery. Although similarly looking, it's different from the Hygrophila (cf.) costata in Johan's photo in the 1st posting. Thomas Rudolph (Netherlands) told me that it's not a Hygrophila at all. Once he has gotten the same plant as a weed that came with water plants from Africa. He has flowered it in a greenhouse and found out that it's likely _Adenostemma caffrum_. A composite (family Asteraceae) with flower heads similar to Gymnocoronis spilanthoides. Occurs in swampy places and at waters in wide parts of tropical Africa. http://www.westafricanplants.senckenberg.de/root/index.php?page_id=14&id=49

I've put this 2nd wannabe-"Eriocaulon" in a tank, and it seems to grow submerged, looks very Hygrophila-like. I'll try to make photos.


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

(cf.) Adenostemma caffrum, grown submerged for several weeks (scale: millimeters):


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## robypellegrini (Mar 5, 2011)

Hi all, I reopen this topic again. I grow the same specimen labeled as "Eriocaulon sp." shown by Miremonster. These are the photos of the flowering; the stems appear stickier. I made some exsiccata also: are there some specialists who are able to study and determine them?


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## robypellegrini (Mar 5, 2011)

Other images


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

Thank you for the reply, Roberto; I found several publications from P.P.J. Herman, SANBI, South Africa, who is apparently an expert for African Asteraceae: https://scholar.google.co.za/citations?user=rQ-NnssAAAAJ&hl=en
He or colleagues from SANBI could be asked for examination of the exsiccates.

Did it flower under short-day conditions, greenhouse? I plan to grow the Adenostemma outdoors in the coming season; not sure if there's a chance to flower it during the summer.


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