# Awesome foreground, but what is it!



## bigstick120

Several months ago I aquired this plant from a GWAPA member, I know the ID but am curious if anyone can figure out what it is, if you currently have or have had this plant you are exempt from posting! Im not selling any at the time so please dont ask

Grows very slow, Ive had this since October and its only sent out about 10-15 runners where I have trimmed the foreground in other tanks about 6 times! So here it is, what do you think it is?


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## Cavan Allen

Nobody? Really?


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## Newt

Spiders from Mars......................naw, not really.
Never seen anything like it.

Looks like some Parva in the background, thou.


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## londonloco

I'd like to know...what is it?


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## ashappard

Cavan Allen said:


> Nobody? Really?


Looks familiar. Cavan, do I have this one already? I may be exempt from posting.


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## Cavan Allen

ashappard said:


> Looks familiar. Cavan, do I have this one already? I may be exempt from posting.


The article I plant to send....

You may not answer!


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## PeterE

Kinda looks like the American Pillwort that davemonkey has in his picotope. I've only seen that in his pictures, so I'm probably wrong, but that's my guess.


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## Cavan Allen

PeterE said:


> Kinda looks like the American Pillwort that davemonkey has in his picotope. I've only seen that in his pictures, so I'm probably wrong, but that's my guess.


A reasonable guess, but that's not it. You will be surprised!


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## davemonkey

Very interesting! I have no idea what it is, but I'm going to guess it is a type of fern.

-Dave


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## Cavan Allen

It is not a fern or fern ally. I'll say that much for now.


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## Newt

Does it get secondary growth or is the stick like structure it?


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## bigstick120

That is it above, no other growth then what you see.


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## Newt

Pilularia americana or Pilularia globulifera ??

I think those might be in the fern family and I see that you said earlier the plant in question isnt.

Is it in the Lily family and have bulbs?


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## davemonkey

It appears to runners and very fine roots, Newt. 

Maybe it's Asparagus sp.? Except I think that is a fern as well....


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## Newt

Thats it>>>>>Asparagus of the aquatic type: Asparagusii aquatica LOL ........except asparagus is in the fern family, I believe.



I just enlarged the picture and can see some of the roots.

I'm back to spiders from Mars


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## davemonkey

Newt said:


> Thats it>>>>>Asparagus of the aquatic type: Asparagusii aquatica LOL
> 
> I'm back to spiders from Mars


ound:


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## Cavan Allen

Newt said:


> Pilularia americana or Pilularia globulifera ??
> 
> I think those might be in the fern family and I see that you said earlier the plant in question isnt.
> 
> Is it in the Lily family and have bulbs?


Marsilea is a fern in the family Marsileaceae, along with Pilularia. So no, it is not that.

Neither is it Asparagus, which is not a fern, but a delicious flowering plant.

One more clue before we let you in on what it is: It is a native.

When you guys find find out what this plant is, you will hardly be more surprised if the world is taken over tomorrow by the aliens from Independence Day.


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## flashbang009

No idea. looks like a bamboo asparagus morph to me. 

TELL US!!!


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## Cavan Allen

Alright, alright. I'll leave out the species, but once you know the genus, the rest should be easy to figure out with just a quick search.

This plant is a..... *Myriophyllum.*


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## davemonkey

I would never have believed you until I saw this:
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=MYTE

_Myriophyllum tenellum_


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## Cavan Allen

Yep, hard to believe, isn't it? Unfortunately, it has been very hard to adapt to captive life and grows very, very, very slowly.

Here are some photos:
http://wisplants.uwsp.edu/scripts/detail.asp?SpCode=MYRTEN


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## ddavila06

nice!!! it was fun following this link


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## bigstick120

BINGO!!! Pretty cool isnt it? Awesome plant if growth was faster. At the rate its going it will be years before I have a full foreground! Wonder how this even makes it in the wild?


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## mudboots

that's about the weirdest looking Myriophyllum sp I've ever seen.

thanks for the post.


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## PeterE

Crazy! According to the USDA plants link, Myriophyllum tenellum grows in a county that I visit about every week in the summer to sail. I'll have to look around for it! It looks really nice as a foreground. Too bad it grows so slow. That's kind of surprising, considering how fast other Myriophyllums grow.


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## Tausendblatt

Cavan Allen said:


> Alright, alright. I'll leave out the species, but once you know the genus, the rest should be easy to figure out with just a quick search.
> 
> This plant is a..... *Myriophyllum.*


mind blown.


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## almightydolla

I wonder does it grow faster emerged or what?


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## Cavan Allen

I doubt it. Slow and steady it seems. 

This plant is very easy to overlook. In fact, most of it was covered in mud when we found it!


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## bigstick120

I havent tried it emersed yet, didnt want to risk losing it, Ill give it a whirl sometime though.


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## Bullguy87

I been to Barns & Noble bookstore yesterday and I found this book _Aquarium Plants_ by DR. Jurgen Schmidt...It seems that this is _Lilaeopsis Brasiliensis _
I might be wrong but it looks similar in the book.


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## Bird

I have no clue, but I like it very much! Let me know if you're selling trimmings please?! I'm always looking for unusual things to place in my tank as well.


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## HeyPK

I have seen Myriophyllum tenellum in soft water lakes in northern Wisconsin. Plants in those lakes are limited by a very low CO2 supply.


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## brt_p

how bout this?
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/myplants/70-Lilaeopsis_macloviana_Lilaeopsis_macloviana.html


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## HeyPK

No! It really is Myriophyllum tenellum.


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## bigstick120

LOL, you guys keep guessing, but we gave you the answer several post ago!

Its 

Myriophyllum tenellum


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## menoseloso

looks to me like a whisk fern member because it has enations and more than likely not roots but rhizomes


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## HeyPK

Nope! It has roots. I have seen them. I have collected this plant.


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