# Plant ID HELP! Save this plants life



## Ashleym101 (Jan 30, 2009)

I bought this plant at my local pet store and i wasn't sure what it was but i figured someone would be able to tell me and help me care for it. A name would be a great start but if you know how to take care of it that would be great too.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

It is a Purple waffle, aka Hemigraphis exotica. It is NOT aquatic. Here is a link to tell you how to care for it. #1. Get it out of the water....

http://www.plantcare.com/encyclopedia/purple-waffle-plant-567.aspx


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## Ashleym101 (Jan 30, 2009)

amazing how they do that. It was in a tank at the store and they assured me it was an easy to take care of plant. it did seem weird that it was such a firm plant.


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

This is not an aquatic plant as Tex_Gal has already said. 

Quite often pet shop workers don't know anything about the fish or plants they sell. 

A general rule of thumb when buying new plants is if their stem is woody or stiff they are not aquatic. Aquatic plants have nearly no stiffness in the stem (since they don't need to be rigid as they grow underwater).


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## Ashleym101 (Jan 30, 2009)

that is what i thought thats why i posted the picture. either way i love the plant it is so bright but it is such a shame that i cant keep it in my aquarium.


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## yildirim (Nov 25, 2004)

Zapins said:


> This is not an aquatic plant as Tex_Gal has already said.
> 
> Quite often pet shop workers don't know anything about the fish or plants they sell.


I agree what is said above.



Zapins said:


> A general rule of thumb when buying new plants is if their stem is woody or stiff they are not aquatic. Aquatic plants have nearly no stiffness in the stem (since they don't need to be rigid as they grow underwater).


But I think it would be a mistake to generalize what is said here. Because in most of the shops the plants sold are import plants from nurseries where the 99% of plants are grown emersed. When grown emersed most of the very common plants change form and appearance. They will usualy have woody or stiff stems. Rosettes will have smaller, thicker, more colorfull appearances. After adaptation to submersed life what is said above is OK.


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## Ashleym101 (Jan 30, 2009)

Just as a thought. I pulled it out of the tank last night and this morning it was a shriveled up pile of leaves. Any guesses?


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

yildirim said:


> But I think it would be a mistake to generalize what is said here. Because in most of the shops the plants sold are import plants from nurseries where the 99% of plants are grown emersed. When grown emersed most of the very common plants change form and appearance. They will usualy have woody or stiff stems. Rosettes will have smaller, thicker, more colorfull appearances. After adaptation to submersed life what is said above is OK.


Truuue.... stems do tend to toughen up a bit when grown emersed, but they don't develop woody parts. Emersed aquatic plants tend to have a lot of air spaces inside the stems, and use scleranchyma cells for support (like the stringy parts of celery) rather than developing wood or a hardened entire stem. They usually are very easy to bend versus non-aquatics that tend to be harder to bend. There is a big difference between emersed limno aromatica (for example) and non-aquatic species like Hemigraphis exotica. I suppose it isn't 100% accurate in every case, but it is helpful.

Hemigraphis exotica needs a humid environment, you can't grow it in room conditions directly after being underwater, especially in the winter (the air inside houses tends to be very dry).

Next time try transitioning it slower from the tank to the room, and make sure the soil in the pot is very wet initially and slowly water less and less.

Try getting some Alternanthera reineckii 'rosaefolia'. It looks similar (red and green leaves) and is relatively easy and common in the hobby.


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