# SouthEastern Texas Wetlands



## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

I was driving through Chambers County today and stopped by a road ditch to see what was in it. I was pleasantly surprised with a few different plants. I was able to ID some Bacopa monneiri, seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum) and some different hairgrasses. But I don't know three of them.

*This first one looks like a ludwigia, but is very small. I know that L.peploides is common around here, maybe these are babies? Leaves are opposite. It was growing in a thick clump just below the water surface.*


















*This next one looks VERY similar, but it a bit larger-leaved, and leaves are alternate. It was growing in small clusters or 2-3 stems, sometimes only 1.*


















*Here is a comparison of the two. Notice the size difference.*









*Can anyone make a good guess or positive ID? *
-Dave


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

*Re: Local Plants for ID*

*Here is the third plant I could not ID. It's a rosette-like plant. I have absolutely NO clue what it is.*

















*Here's a pic of the ditch, followed by a mat of Bacopa monneiri.*


















-Dave


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## THHNguyen (Dec 2, 2006)

*Re: Local Plants for ID*

The first one might be Ludwigia repens and the larger red plant might be Ludwigia glandulosa. Very nice finds!


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

*Re: Local Plants for ID*



THHNguyen said:


> The first one might be Ludwigia repens and the larger red plant might be Ludwigia glandulosa. Very nice finds!


Thanks!


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

*Re: Local Plants for ID*

What a neat find! I agree with the id's that Huy said. That would be my guess. We'll see if other's have different ideas.


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

*Re: Local Plants for ID*

1. _Ludwigia palustris_ (probably)
2. _L. glandulosa_
3. dunno, but I'll bet it turns out to be a stem. Grow it out...


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

*Re: Local Plants for ID*

Thanks, all, for the answers. I don't think I have to light output for L.glandulosa, but I'll see what it does. The others I'll plant and see what they do. I'll update if anything neat happens (like #3 stretching out to a stemmie) . 

-Dave


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## HoustonFishFanatic (Feb 26, 2007)

*Re: Local Plants for ID*

Wow those are great Dave!When can we go collecting?


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

*Re: Local Plants for ID*



HoustonFishFanatic said:


> Wow those are great Dave!When can we go collecting?


Whenever you want! I'm just now learning the roads over there, but the entire county is FULL of wetlands and ditches that never dry. Anytime you guys want to tour the area "for conservation assistance" just let me know.


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## TNguyen (Mar 20, 2005)

*Re: Local Plants for ID*

ADG use to have a guy that like to dive into ditches all the time. They give him the nickname - ditch diver. hmmmmm :spy:


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

*Re: Local Plants for ID*



TNguyen said:


> ADG use to have a guy that like to dive into ditches all the time. They give him the nickname - ditch diver. hmmmmm :spy:


:lalala: At work they call my brother "Mud-duck" (he's the Wetlands Specialist and is always out in the muck) .


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

*Re: Local Plants for ID*

I guess ditch divers in Texas don't worry about gators, huh?  Around here, if I can't see where I'm stepping, I don't go in it.


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## Esteroali (Oct 1, 2007)

*Re: Local Plants for ID*

I was ditch diving last month and near about stepped on and startled what I thought was a humongous frog or turtle. Turned out to be a 3 foot gator. I look closer now. I don't think the gator could have hurt me "badly"....it is more snakes I worry about. So far the most pain has been from the fire ants which seem to always be in the ditches.


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

*Re: Local Plants for ID*

On a hunch, I ventured out to the ditch just outside my office. I mean, this is literally 50 feet from the front door of my office. I look down and what do I see? More ludwigia and a few other questionable plants (not sure if they are aquatic or not).

The first Ludwigia (that has been ID'd so far as L. palustris) was present in mass quantities and I even found a couple emerged shoots. Take a look, these are the same plant emersed and submersed. I believe this confirms L.palustris? (Even without a flower? )


























And I found a grass that was growing submerged. A mower/weedeater has hit a few times I think. My first thought on this was submerged growth of Seashore Paspalum (P. vaginatum) , but I admit I am very much uncertain. There is an abundance of seashore growing in the area, however. Here are pics:

























I never knew I'd have so much fun moving to Coastal Texas! This is so much FUN!! 

-Dave

By the way, is there a way to change the thread title to something more along the lines of "SouthEastern Texas Wetlands" or something like that? If so, I can just keep posting more plants from the area on this thread?


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

*Re: Local Plants for ID*

Dave,

I'm not sure what that first one is, but it's definitely not a _Ludwigia_ (at least the emersed stem). Are you positive that's what the one on the right is? I don't think that's the same thing as in your first photo. 
_
The second one looks like it's probably a grass (might be something from _Cyperaceae). Don't let that stop you from trying it.


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

*Re: Local Plants for ID*



Cavan Allen said:


> Dave,
> 
> I'm not sure what that first one is, but it's definitely not a _Ludwigia_ (at least the emersed stem). Are you positive that's what the one on the right is? I don't think that's the same thing as in your first photo.
> _
> The second one looks like it's probably a grass (might be something from _Cyperaceae). Don't let that stop you from trying it.


Well, they were growing together, but they weren't attached to the same plant. I just assumed....and we all know what happens when we ass-u-me. So, it may well be two different plants. Especially considering there were only a couple of these emersed stems poping up amongst a HUGE submerged mat of the ludwigia. With my luck, it could be button-bush seedlings (there's alot of that here) . I'll do some better 'sloshing' Monday and see what I find.

As for the grass, it's in my tank right now. I've got it up front where I can keep a close eye on it in case it starts dying/rotting away.

I have to say this again, this really is fun. I'm learning new plants, feeding my hobby, and working at the same time (well...the working part may be a bit of a stretch...it takes a little smooth talking to say swathing through a ditch is conservation-related) .

-Dave

Oh, and look at that new title! Some cool monkey must have come up with that!  Thanks for changing it for me.


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

I wish I could collect all year up here. Well, maybe, but I wouldn't find much and it would be pretty cold. :slywink:


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## starrystarstarr (Dec 18, 2008)

those are some great finds!! heck i havent found anything like that here. You cant go wrong with free plants.


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

I have seen that third plant occasionally around here, not in ditches, but at the edge of a pond or river. I always thought it was some kind of Ludwigia. Sometimes it seems to have a woody stem. Next time I run across it, I will try to grow it.


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## Esteroali (Oct 1, 2007)

Why do you think the first is not Ludwigia? I am no plant expert but I have grown out LOTS of different age/state of immersion plants that look REALLY different and they all grow out to be what I thought was L.repens . How can you tell the difference between repens and palutris? Does the first pic have jaggedy leave edges?


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

The green plant in post #14 has leaf veination consisting of parallel main veins going back to the base of the leaf and leaf margins that exclude it as a _Ludwigia_, even the woody ones like _L. alternifolia_ (which does not grow submersed). _L. repens_ doesn't grow that rigidly or have such long internodes either. You're right that many plants look drastically different above and below water, but that does have limits. The reddish plant on the right could well be a _Ludwigia_, but they aren't the same plant.

As far as the difference between _L. palustris_ and _L. repens_ goes, the former usually has longer petioles, somewhat narrow leaves and flowers with _no petals_. Leaf texture is a tad different too, but that's a bit tough to describe. Finally, if you've seen enough of it enough times out collecting when you were hoping to see something else for a change...


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## Esteroali (Oct 1, 2007)

HMMM....come down to Florida and give me a field trip! Housing provided. Hopefully I will have a DEP permit by then.Does your profession involve plants? Or do you just research. If so where and how? Do you use keys? I find therm drastically intimidating.


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## gravy9 (Aug 28, 2008)

I envy you guys living near ditches and in warm weather. [smilie=b: Would like to move there some time...


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## Bunbuku (Feb 10, 2008)

Dave your are a real plant :nerd:! I tell my kids to stay away from ditches and here you are diving in.... I am glad you work in a place where you can feed your habit. In Houston, we have the concrete "bayous" which are pretty nasty and not conducive to aquatic plants, though I often see schools of fish swimming around in there.

These plants you found must be tolerant to heat and cycles of emersion and submersion. Were these brackish waters?


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

Bunbuku,

No, fresh water only, and I'm 90% sure the areas I looked in were not flooded with sea-water during Hurricane Ike. The couple plants that have yet to be ID'd (#3 and the grass) I've got in my tank growing out. They may turn out to be non-aquatics that can survive submerged for long periods (like botton-bush or some sedges, or some random plant I've not seen before) .

If you want to try some of these out in a tank let me know and I'll bring samples to the Jan NASH mtg. I'll be updating with results from what is in my tank and I'm sure I'll be looking for more plants to try out. 

-Dave


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

Okay, I confirmed that the emersed stem I found is not akin to the submersed ludwigia it was growing with. I found another of the emersed stem with submersed growth that was identical to the emersed. I suppose if I waited until the plants started maturing and flowering it would be MUCH easier to tell what is what.

Anyway, I went out to another road today and found TONS of what I am thinking is _Ludwigia glandulosa_. Also found some _Sagittaria sp _(I think _graminea_, but too young to tell) and another plant I think may be a _Rumex sp_, but again, can't really tell.

I'm going to slow down on plant hunting until some mature growth/flowers start showing up so it won't be such a guessing game. In the meantime, here are the latest finds:

*Possibly a Rumex, young plant, not truely aquatic*

















*Sagittaria sp*

















*Ludwigia glandulosa (I think)*

















Tune in this Spring/Summer for more (and with positive ID's) !
-Dave


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## richardesc (Aug 13, 2008)

Wow. Awesome find. You are lucky to have such place near you ( "just outside the office").
Thanks a lot for sharing. Keep us posted of your discoveries.


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## Darksome (Feb 15, 2009)

free plants in your own backyards?! I can't believe it, I wonder if we have anything like that in Southern California, it has always been a fantasy of mine to go to aquatic plant collecting.


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

Darksome said:


> free plants in your own backyards?! I can't believe it, I wonder if we have anything like that in Southern California, it has always been a fantasy of mine to go to aquatic plant collecting.


It really is great fun! Just this Thursday I found some _Proserpinaca pectinata _(Comb-leaf Mermaid weed) and some more _L. glandulosa _while at work. No pictures because the camera died and I couldn't get "natural" photos. But I'll go back there and get some good shots in a few weeks.

-Dave


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## Valthenya (Feb 11, 2009)

It must be nice living near all that water, out here in the desert the only place you'll find aquatic plants is a lake or the fish store lol!! Even the canals out here are concrete


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

Valthenya said:


> It must be nice living near all that water, out here in the desert the only place you'll find aquatic plants is a lake or the fish store lol!! Even the canals out here are concrete


I know how you feel (well, almost).  When we lived up by Abilene there were NO aquatic plants at all. I remember getting excited when I found some _Potamogeton nodosus_ in a pond once. It didn't make much of an aquarium plant because all the leaves quickly went to the surface and floated, but it was all I could find locally. Now, here in the high rain-fall/warm climate, I can find TONS of cool stuff.


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## Valthenya (Feb 11, 2009)

lol i live in phoenix btw not much rainfall at all as a matter of fact i think we are technically in a drought (ten years i think...)


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## Navarro (Feb 12, 2004)

Keep in mind the Houston PlantFest this coming April you should be able to go back home with many new plants!


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

davemonkey said:


> It really is great fun! Just this Thursday I found some _Proserpinaca pectinata _(Comb-leaf Mermaid weed) and some more _L. glandulosa _while at work. No pictures because the camera died and I couldn't get "natural" photos. But I'll go back there and get some good shots in a few weeks.
> 
> -Dave


Got any pics? Not being familiar with this particular species, I googled it, and the pics are very similar to some of my locally collected P. palustris. My palustris has leaves which can be quite variable, in some cases looking very similar to the pic I saw of the pectinata. I wonder if the pectinata is also variable?

Cavan, you out there??


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

Bert H said:


> Got any pics? Not being familiar with this particular species, I googled it, and the pics are very similar to some of my locally collected P. palustris. My palustris has leaves which can be quite variable, in some cases looking very similar to the pic I saw of the pectinata. I wonder if the pectinata is also variable?
> 
> Cavan, you out there??


I'm going back out there on Friday. If it's dry enough to get to the spot I'll get some natural photos. Either way, I'll post some pics of what I threw in my tank to show a side-by-side comparison.

I'm sure it can have variable growth here, I just noticed the little "nutlets" on the aquaplant website (or was it Aquatic and Invasive Plants...whichever one is the Florida site) and saw a few old ones on some stems I tossed. Just in case, I'm growing a couple stems emersed. (EDIT Note: I actually never bothered to look and see is P.palustris also has nutlets...DANG...that throws a wrench in my ID.)

-Dave


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

I went out to the ditch where I found the _P. palustris _and got some nice shots. Tomorrow I'll try the spot with what I think is _P. pectinata_.




























*Notice the two distinct leaf shapes on this partially submerged stem*


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

Some other shots I took (more _Proserpinaca_, some _P. hydropiperoides_?, and something I'm not familiar with) .


















*This is the most abundant plant in the particular ditch I was in today*


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

Compare these plants to the _Proserpinaca palustris_ above. I think these are _P. pectinata_, but I can no longer confirm it as I didn't save any seeds/nuts and there were none left when I got out there yesterday. The specs of this particular site: frequently flooded soils, there was a 2-month dry spell where most of the plants were left above water and began forming emergent growth. The pictures were all taken 2 days after a 5" rain. I'll post pics of other plants in a new post.


































-Dave


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

Some more pics :









































































-Dave


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

davemonkey said:


> Compare these plants to the _Proserpinaca palustris_ above. I think these are _P. pectinata_, but I can no longer confirm it as I didn't save any seeds/nuts and there were none left when I got out there yesterday. The specs of this particular site: frequently flooded soils, there was a 2-month dry spell where most of the plants were left above water and began forming emergent growth. The pictures were all taken 2 days after a 5" rain. I'll post pics of other plants in a new post.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


One of these days I will try to take some close up pics of my palustris. Part of the stem will have leaves very siimilar to what the pics here show, then another part of the stem, usually higher up, will look different.


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## maxima (Feb 23, 2009)

Goodness, isn't that red plant a carnivorous species ? 
I've never seen them in the wild, this is so amazing ! Just think how beautiful they'd look in a terrarium...


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

maxima said:


> Goodness, isn't that red plant a carnivorous species ?
> I've never seen them in the wild, this is so amazing ! Just think how beautiful they'd look in a terrarium...


The red plant is indeed a carnivorous. I believe it's 'Pink Sundew', _Drosera capillaris_ , but whichever species, it's a _Drosera_. It's found throughout the Gulf Coast States, but only on certain sites. They would definitely add some color to a terrarium, but they are very tiny plants. The largest I saw out there were quarter-size.

Bert, for what it's worth, one of the NASH guys looked at my Mermaid weeds and said he believes them to be _palustris_ and not _pectinata_.

-Dave


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

I finally found an ID on these flowers. _Viola lanceolata_.
And even that may be incorrect on the species, but it's close at the very least.

PlantsDatabase Link followed by pictures from the site I visited:
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=VILA4&photoID=vila4_004_avp.jpg



















-Dave


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

On my way to the Plant Materials Center in Nacogdoches, I stopped at canal where I've seen _Proserpinaca palustris_ growing. I was able to get a shot of flowers and fruits (first pic). I also took some photos of other plants there.

In Nacogdoches, my brother and I found an isolated depression in the forest at the PMC. We didn't find what we had hoped for (_Juncus repens_), but we did see some great plants and mosses. I'll post those pictures in a second post so I don't take too much room in this first one.

Enjoy.


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)




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## HoustonFishFanatic (Feb 26, 2007)

Dave nice finds . The liverwort and moss look interesting. The Saururus crenuus in the second pic is also a good aquatic plant. I found some of that last week at the Armand Bayou Nature Center.


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

Visited a rice field and a road ditch and found some great plants:


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

Thanks for looking,
Dave


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Wow. How did I miss this thread? You found a lot of great stuff. I see that you turned up really nice plants way back in the middle of winter. I have wondered about the seasonality of plants like these down in your area.

...could be a a great excuse to escape the winter cold up here in a few months.


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## krisw (Jan 31, 2005)

Great stuff Dave! Looks like you found Rotala ramosior -- I was just out yesterday looking for that where I found it last year -- unfortunately not this year. Let us know how that stuff does for you!


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

I think the one above the _Justicia_ might be _Ludwigia sphaerocarpa_. See here:
http://images.google.com/imgres?img...ox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&sa=N&um=1


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## krisw (Jan 31, 2005)

Cavan, will L. sphaerocarpa grow aquatically? (Let me guess, "only one way to find out") ;-)


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

krisw said:


> Cavan, will L. sphaerocarpa grow aquatically? (Let me guess, "only one way to find out") ;-)


Exactly. It could be pretty nice if it does. Believe it or not, I was actually looking at specimens yesterday, and many of them were from very wet locations. But that's no guarantee.


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

Interesting bit about _R. ramosior_, mudboots took home the one we found and stuck it in his new 125 gal NPT and it is doing very well so far. We didn't see any other specimens of it on that bayou.

Right now my tank is still fighting through Diatom film, so I didn't bring home any other samples. But I know where to find them again. 

-Dave


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## mudboots (Jun 24, 2009)

> Interesting bit about R. ramosior, mudboots took home the one we found and stuck it in his new 125 gal NPT and it is doing very well so far.


As the plant grew, new vegetation was at the tips, but the old emergent stuff along the length of the plant dropped off. I have since cut the plant, which was pretty large, to the substrate and will let it come back from the roots with just the submergent vegetation. I'll keep you posted, though I will likely end up giving this one up for "adoption" even if it does well because I simply do not have a place in my tank for it (it's in the way of my Xyris specimens, assuming they live).

Anyway, the plant's stems were very thick and hardy, and had grown from 7 inches to about 10 when I cut back, so the root system should be pretty significant even with my hacking job.


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

mudboots said:


> As the plant grew, new vegetation was at the tips, but the old emergent stuff along the length of the plant dropped off. I have since cut the plant, which was pretty large, to the substrate and will let it come back from the roots with just the submergent vegetation. I'll keep you posted, though I will likely end up giving this one up for "adoption" even if it does well because I simply do not have a place in my tank for it (it's in the way of my Xyris specimens, assuming they live).
> 
> Anyway, the plant's stems were very thick and hardy, and had grown from 7 inches to about 10 when I cut back, so the root system should be pretty significant even with my hacking job.


I think I know someone in Maryland who will gladly fill out adotion papers.  Keep us posted on how it does.

-Dave


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## kwc1974 (Jan 4, 2006)

Dave, I think I have an ID on this, Pallavicinia lyellii
Not positive though. The samples that we collected still looks promising for sumberged growth.


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

I think you are correct. Here are a couple websites:

http://home.clara.net/adhale/bryos/plyelli.htm

http://vis-pc.plantbio.ohiou.edu/moss/McClintic.htm

http://www.hiddenforest.co.nz/bryophytes/liverworts/leafy/pallaviciniaceae/palla01.htm

That's neat to have it in such abundance in that particular site.


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## HoustonFishFanatic (Feb 26, 2007)

kwc1974 said:


> Dave, I think I have an ID on this, Pallavicinia lyellii
> Not positive though. The samples that we collected still looks promising for sumberged growth.


That looks nice. When are you guys heading out again?


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

HoustonFishFanatic said:


> That looks nice. When are you guys heading out again?


Just whenever. My brother works up in Nacogdoches, and this place is about 20 minutes from his house. He has to be on official duty to take us there as an escort, but I'll take that kind of "Wetland Training" all year long. 

We don't have any plans to go anytime soon, but we can go pretty much anytime you want. I think the forest is booked up during hunting season, but I can find out if you have a date in mind.

-Dave


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## HoustonFishFanatic (Feb 26, 2007)

davemonkey said:


> Just whenever. My brother works up in Nacogdoches, and this place is about 20 minutes from his house. He has to be on official duty to take us there as an escort, but I'll take that kind of "Wetland Training" all year long.
> 
> We don't have any plans to go anytime soon, but we can go pretty much anytime you want. I think the forest is booked up during hunting season, but I can find out if you have a date in mind.
> 
> -Dave


Dave, you think it would be possible to make a trip there before it gets too cold?


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

HoustonFishFanatic said:


> Dave, you think it would be possible to make a trip there before it gets too cold?


Sure. Let me get with mudboots and see what his schedule is like. I won't know mine until I get back from vacation (next Monday).


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## kwc1974 (Jan 4, 2006)

would liek to go again just so I can take pics this time. Gotta be careful with us B, we were so hardcore that we collected in the cold rain. And then hiked back through the briar patch.


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

HAHA! (He's being serious though, we really did go in the cold rain ALL DAY and hicked back through thick briars/vines/etc...at least we had hot fajitas waiting for us afterwards ). Next time I'll bring some flagging so we keep our original trail.

I talk to mudboots and he said we can "right now", or this coming Monday, next Friday, and pretty much any Mon or Fri thereafter. So, pick a date and we'll work it out. And keep an eye on weather so we can use our cameras next time. 

-Dave


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## HoustonFishFanatic (Feb 26, 2007)

davemonkey said:


> HAHA! (He's being serious though, we really did go in the cold rain ALL DAY and hicked back through thick briars/vines/etc...at least we had hot fajitas waiting for us afterwards ). Next time I'll bring some flagging so we keep our original trail.
> 
> I talk to mudboots and he said we can "right now", or this coming Monday, next Friday, and pretty much any Mon or Fri thereafter. So, pick a date and we'll work it out. And keep an eye on weather so we can use our cameras next time.
> 
> -Dave


Rain, Cold, Heat does not worry me much.........when it comes to collecting.
I have this Friday off. The next one will be Nov 6th.


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## mudboots (Jun 24, 2009)

Playin' in the mud is what it's all about, just don't follow Dave when he tries to step into holes that others have determined are way too deep!!! Did you ever get the swamp smell out of those jeans? Anyway, even if we get sprinkled or rained on Melinda is always more than happy to make sure we've got some hot coffee or whatever you want waiting at the house (just 10 minutes or so away).:tea:


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## kwc1974 (Jan 4, 2006)

mudboots said:


> Playin' in the mud is what it's all about, just don't follow Dave when he tries to step into holes that others have determined are way too deep!!! Did you ever get the swamp smell out of those jeans? Anyway, even if we get sprinkled or rained on Melinda is always more than happy to make sure we've got some hot coffee or whatever you want waiting at the house (just 10 minutes or so away).:tea:


Yeah Dave went right in......after you Darren ound:


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

kwc1974 said:


> Yeah Dave went right in......after you Darren ound:


It was all part of my plan....ummm...to show you what NOT to do...


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

I went out fish-collecting to put some Gambusia sp in my pico-tank at my office (something EASY and hardy). I got two of them, but I also found a ghost shrimp and 3 banded pygmy sunfish. This is the first time I've seen the pygmy sunfish in the wild, so I was quite excited.

To give you a size comparison, the main plants you see are Anubias 'petite' and Dwarf Lileaopsis. The first pic is the _Gambusia sp_, the other 3 are the sunfish.


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## mudboots (Jun 24, 2009)

Awesome find Dave! Is that as big as they get? If so they'd make a great native substitute for species such as the dario and badis, though the color comparison is pretty grim.

If they ever happen to breed for you let me know; I'd be interested in a swap or something.


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

From what I read, they only get about 1.5 inches. From the looks, I believe I have 1 male and 2 females (or the other way around). They look very much like the _Dario dario_ except mostly brown instead of red.


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## mudboots (Jun 24, 2009)

Next time you're out see if you can find some Elatine species. I had an awesome area that was full of it but we got a bit of a cold snap and it's gone. I was fortunate enough to collect just a little, so hopefully I can get it keyed eventually. It's really nice stuff.


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

mudboots said:


> Next time you're out see if you can find some Elatine species. I had an awesome area that was full of it but we got a bit of a cold snap and it's gone. I was fortunate enough to collect just a little, so hopefully I can get it keyed eventually. It's really nice stuff.


Darren,
Keep that Elatine alive at all costs!  If you need help finding a place for some, I have room in my pico at the office.

Also, we should make a "Wetland Training" session out at that artificial wetalnd (where I got the pygmy sunfish and the new plants). It is a GREAT wetland site with several seasonal pockets and 2 large permanantly flooded areas. The plant community is mostly just a few species, but there TONS of plants in fewer numbers, most that I have not ID'd. (On a serious note, it really is a good training location for anyone in the Liberty resource area needing the training. )


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## mudboots (Jun 24, 2009)

If all else fails I am ALWAYS ready to burn some leave!


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## Pyrotrons (Dec 12, 2009)

Hi All,

I've been lurking for quite some time. I'm brand-new to this type of thing, and I must say I've REALLY enjoyed absorbing the information and watching all of your posts. It's been very informative.

To my post: OK, this is probably nothing that everyone here hasn't seen before, but I figured I'd post up just in case :wink:. I realize that seeing some of these species may cause eye-rolling and/or elevated blood pressures and/or the urge to click the red "x" at top right. But hopefully I've stumbled across something cool in my trips.

*From Cullen Park (Hwy-6 near I-10) on 12DEC2009:*

(I think this is some kind of Ludwigia...perhaps the same as DaveMonkey has identified earlier on this same thread?)

























I stayed away from this terrestrial plant :









Is this "Alligator Weed"?









*From Huntsville State Park (Lake Raven) on 19DEC2009:*

Giant Salvinia?

























Hydrilla?

























Parrot's Feather?








(This is, of course, coming off of the surface of water)

























*From Brazos Bend State Park on 29DEC2009:*

Unknown #1.









Random view of the lakeshore

























Unknown #2. I'm pretty sure this is aquatic.









Terrestrial/Arboreal Fern. The plants on the surface of the water look like really big Pennywort's...except they're emerging several inches above the water and form really huge mats. Is it Frogsbit?










Another plant I haven't identified, that looks cool, but is dead 


















*Thanks to all of you for a great forum!!!​*


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## Pyrotrons (Dec 12, 2009)

*Houston Area Collecting Trip Anyone???*

Hi All,

Any of you up for going on a collecting trip?? Or maybe just a trip to be out in the woods for a while?

I could go RIGHT NOW, tonight, tomorrow morning, tomorrow night...this weekend...I'm open 

Send me a PM if you're available. Otherwise...allow me to throw out a preliminary date so some of us can plan for it:

*Saturday, January 8th, 2009*​
I recently quit my job  so have lots of time, and am anxious to go out and really learn some of the things that I've been wanting to. I can only identify a handful of aquatic plants so far, and am still a bit sketchy even on those. Ha, I keep finding that all the plants that I think are "really cool and awesome" are the ones that are "highly invasive and unwanted". Ughh. But I'm sure I've found a Ludwigia, and definitely Bacopa Monnieri, that are thriving in my aquariums ; ) I also have the kind of Pennywort that is the full "parasol" with no split on the edge. It's doing well too. I'm very happy.

Anyhow, perhaps a couple...or all of you...could lend a hand and we can go slogging around in a creek somewhere 

I have a small grill too, we could make some hotdogs while we're out there, lol.

Hope there's some takers on the trip!! Nothing's concrete. Let's figure out sometime when we can all go...


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

Pyrotrons,

Those are great pictures. The unidentified #1 looks like Alligator weed to me. All those plants are great finds. A field trip sounds fun, but I just accepted an Inspection Detail for a watershed project, so I booked up through the end of February. 

Although, Sunday afternoons might be do-able. Give me until after the new year to hash out my schedule and I'll PM you.


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## Tausendblatt (Sep 16, 2009)

COOL, Pyrotrons. I have not located most of those...

The red stuff in "random view of lake shore" is Azolla, mosquito fern. I have seen the green version, but there is a red variety.

Never seen hydrilla...


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## Pyrotrons (Dec 12, 2009)

Thanks for that, Tausendblatt. The (now-confirmed) Azolla was covering a significant percentage, 20% maybe, of Elm Lake at Brazos Bend State Park, TX. In the picture with the terrestrial/arboreal fern hanging on the tree limb above the water, it is 100% on the surface along with some other kind of emergent plant. 

(By the way, I later identified those ferns as "Resurrection Ferns", due to their ability to spring back to life after extreme drought conditions.)

Hydrilla: Oh man, there's enough of it at Huntsville State Park (An hour North of Houston, TX on I-45) right now to cover a football field 6" deep!! Terrible...beautiful...stuff


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## mudboots (Jun 24, 2009)

I love the pic of the resurrection fern. I've got some in an emmersed set up that does very well, except that I have some insects in there that eat it just as fast as it grows, so it never really looks all that great.


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## Pyrotrons (Dec 12, 2009)

Thanks Mudboots. I was sure the fern would make a nice picture when I took it. I want to go back this Spring and take some more shots when it is full and dark green.

Ok Guys 'n Gals...I've got a new truck...with 5-gallon buckets and everything  . I'll be takin' it everywhere around town to find plants this *Saturday, January 8th*. Anyone is welcome to join me. And if ya'll have any secrets on where-to-go...do tell!!


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

Just FYI, this Saturday is the 9th. The 8th is a Friday. Either way, I can't go, but I recommend the Alexander Duessen Park (I hope I spelled that right). I found lots of species in the ditches running through the middle of the park last time I went. Plus the entrance to the park has a nice deep wetland full of lotus (or some other lily...I've haven't looked at them yet).

-Dave


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## mudboots (Jun 24, 2009)

I wish I lived closer to the area. Good luck plant-hunting.


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## Neverlander (Jan 4, 2010)

mudboots said:


> I wish I lived closer to the area. Good luck plant-hunting.


+1

Dave, you are just lucky man... Awesome thread...


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