# Purchase online. Difference of opinion on ID



## Noobtank (Nov 25, 2016)

I recently purchased $40 worth of clippings from a fellow forum user on a different website. He advertised the plant as Rotala SP Colorata. Now being new to the hobby, I don't challenge anything really. I try to take in as much knowledge as possible. I realize I have a lot to learn. I had reef tanks for years but even then, planted tanks are vastly different.

Anyway, This week when I received about 6 different plants, one of the looked much different then the plant I had researched online. I inquired to the seller asking why it looked nothing like the plant I had seen online. I also provided him links to the plant I had researched and here is what he told me. He said that it was in fact the correct plant but that I have the emersed version. He told me that once it was submerged, it would change into the photos I showed him.

As I mentioned above, the plant in question was Rotala SP Colorata. Here was what I was expecting:



















Here is the plant I received:










So I realize that colors can be very different based on people's light, etc. color aside, the leaf looks completely different then the photos. How does this plant change from tint leaves to long narrow leaves? Did I get it wrong here? Is the plant shown in that bag going to change into those two photos above?


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## Renoiro (Nov 5, 2015)

The difference between emersed and immersed form in most cases is huge. The one you've received looks emeresed.
Not sure if it can be Colorata as I don't have one. I have rotala H'ra that looks quite simmilar to colorata and it used to have red stems in emersed form.
Good luck with this one!


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## Noobtank (Nov 25, 2016)

Oops. Not sure where I came up with the term, "submerged" lol. Okay so the terminology is immersed and emersed. Very odd.


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## Maryland Guppy (Mar 5, 2015)

Link to Plant Finder in this forum. It is probably correct.
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plantfinder/details.php?id=224&category=genus&spec=Rotala


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## Noobtank (Nov 25, 2016)

Thank syou so much for that link. While it's a bit hard to tell in the photo, I think this is in fact the correct plant. So cool to have learned something today.


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## shaunwinterton (Jun 27, 2012)

Rotala rotundifolia is a rather polymorphic species that comes in a variety of forms including "green" and "colorata". The emersed clippings look indeed like Rotala rotundifolia and assuming you put them under high light with CO2 you should expect the new growth to be similarly red coloured.


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