# Acisanthera sp. emersed flowers



## ashappard (Jun 3, 2006)

I have a handful of stems breaking the surface, and they did
not waste time opening a flower. Here are some initial pics, 
many more buds should be opening soon if all goes well.

the flower is only millimeters across, rather small.
I notice at the end of each petal is a dab of purple, 
and the petals themselves have a bit of a purple hue.

the curled nasty looking leaves are the submersed ones dying off.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

They are so pretty. You have really figured this plant out!


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## ashappard (Jun 3, 2006)

thanks. I'm hoping the flowers can move us towards a name for this guy.
then we'll really have it figured out!


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Nice flower and a really good picture!

What lens are you using? 100 mm macro, MP-E 65mm, or something else?


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## ashappard (Jun 3, 2006)

photo is with cheap canon A720, a basic point-and-shoot camera. It does have manual focus, so with patience you can get some detailed close-ups.


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## hooha (Apr 21, 2005)

nice job! Trying to take a macro with a point-and-shoot in the past myself, that must have taken quite a bit of patience


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## ashappard (Jun 3, 2006)

typically 20 - 40 shots, fish through them and find one that looks ok.
cheap optics, manual focus, no tripod, uncooperative subjects.. yeah lots of patience.


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## ashappard (Jun 3, 2006)

more pics, finally getting healthy emersed leaves instead of crinkly and dried out. 
This one needs high humidity it seems.

the appearance is the same, but leaf texture changes 
it is rough - a bit like fine sandpaper.


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Nice. Is that fruit forming in the second pic?


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## ashappard (Jun 3, 2006)

it is a pretty meaty structure, but its just the base where a older flower dropped.
maybe seeds would form there? I'm very ignorant when it comes to morphology of plants
it has swollen since dropping the flower, maybe a coincidence..

the third pics shows a top-down of the same structure.

the stem were talking about is going out to the specialist 
since its the most productive one I have as far as buds and open flowers, 
so maybe he'll have some ideas


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Yeah, it does look like seeds might be forming in there.


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## ashappard (Jun 3, 2006)

seeds would be excellent!
now I'm iffy on sending it out..


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## ashappard (Jun 3, 2006)

digging this old thread up to show a plantlet growing out of a floating leaf.
I know, I know most plants will do this. But I still get all giddy when I get a new sp.
to throw a plantlet out of a leaf.

pic










I have a large cluster now with over a dozen flowers and many have dropped.
the bases are swelling and I'm keeping them going as I watch for seeds..fingers crossed


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

wow, that's a Melastomataceae. i had no idea that there were aquatic members of this family.

i have some _Rhexia_, a bog plant, gorwing in a pot. the leaves of this plant are similar to your _Acisanthera_, but green.


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

We've actually been told that it's not an _Acisanthera_ but probably a species from the closely related _Aciotis_. But we'll see.

There are probably additional species from both genera that are suitable.


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## ashappard (Jun 3, 2006)

*seeds?*

maybe this is premature, I dont know if it is ripe enough but this 
fruit's been growing for a couple weeks and the outside got a little darker.
so I cut it open to see whats inside.

I assume the these red parts are seeds. They are literally the size of dust.
they feel like grains of sand when you rub them between your fingers.
I had a really hard time getting a pic with my cheap camera so I put it on the scanner


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Hehe, seems like seeds! Grats plant-Daddy


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## ashappard (Jun 3, 2006)

yeah we'll see if I can do anything with them. 
I'll continue collecting fruit and see if I can germinate seeds.

the flowers are increasing in number, the flower clusters start to extend
and branch making more flowers and no leaves. heres a couple more pics
showing flowers, fruit and the structure of the flower clusters as they get older.

*edit :*the fruit reminds me of the eggs from Aliens, where the thing jumps out and
grabs onto your face..


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

We got word back today that this species is indeed an _Aciotis_, not _Acisanthera_; this is the result of both examination and DNA testing. The species is apparently still unknown. More information as it becomes available.


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

How coooooooool! 

Keep us updated!


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## hooha (Apr 21, 2005)

awesome job - you try planting those seeds?


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## ashappard (Jun 3, 2006)

the seeds I had a few posts back, no.
but I did collect a lot of fruit before I chopped down my emersed plants and I'll figure out how to get some to sprout. If anybody has any suggestions, I'm all ears.


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