# Reineckii 'splendida'?



## Overfloater (Apr 2, 2004)

This photo is from "Aquarium Plants Manual." All it says is Alternanthera Reineckii in the caption. This is unlike any Reineckii I have ever seen. My somewhat ;p reliable source seems to think it may be a varietal called 'Splendida.' I can't find much info on this particular variety, and no one who sells it. Anyone have any experience with this plant?


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

I've never heard that name before. There are several varieties of reineckii floating around, but that's probably just one of the common ones like Tropica sells ('lilacina' most likely). Beware of trade names...


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## tsunami (Jan 24, 2004)

With a quick google search, these are the pictures I could find of Alternanthera reineckii 'splendida':



















Apparently, it is produced by a nursery in the Czech Republic and perhaps also in Russia. Seems very popular in eastern Europe.

Carlos


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

That really doesn't look like anything out of the ordinary to me. It could just be another name for what we already know. But who knows.


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## Overfloater (Apr 2, 2004)

Cavan: So you think the picture I posted is Lilacina?

Carlos: I have seen those pictures in my search also. It does indeed seem popular in eastern Europe but there is no mention of it anywhere else as far as I can tell.


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## tsunami (Jan 24, 2004)

I do not think it is lilacina (which I have grown before, and does not achieve that deep red color in my experience). I have not tried cardinalis, which may be similar in appearance. Definitely not rosaefolia. Those are the only three varieties of Alternanthera reineckii floating around in the US hobby right now, I think.

In Europe, they have several more.

Carlos


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Yes, I think it could be lilacina. But unless we really have some of the plant in question to fool around with ourselves, there's not really any way to be sure. I don't feel comfortable nailing it down based on a few photos (which may or may not have proper color balance) and trade names.

http://showcase.aquatic-gardeners.org/2002.cgi?&op=showcase&category=0&vol=2&id=74


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## Overfloater (Apr 2, 2004)

I have some Lilacina coming soon and I'll give that a shot. Maybe I'll get lucky


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## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

Carlos, that big picture isn't opening for me, but the smaller picture on the bottom is the same picture Shawn prescott used to sell his Alternanthera he sold under a name he made up... I can't even remember what it was now. Same picture, and the plant really does get that bright a red. At least now I know where the plant came from. Lilacina is different, and not real easy to grow

I just looked it up on his site, he called it A. sunset

here is the picture from his site










I had some of this plant from Shawn. Definetly not lilacina, which is more of a purple color. On his WEB site, Shawn says this is a man made variation of reineckii


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## Overfloater (Apr 2, 2004)

I cancelled my Lilacina order and ordered a few bunches of the Sunset variety. And it wasn't cheap.  I'll see how that goes.

Thanks for the tip Robert.


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## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

Bob, I don't think he is shipping orders anymore, but let me know.


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

> Carlos, that big picture isn't opening for me, but the smaller picture on the bottom is the same picture Shawn prescott used to sell his Alternanthera he sold under a name he made up...


That's what I'm talking about. A lot of these names are just that. Made up.

'Lilacina' is a naturally occuring variety. If there really is a super red plant, it isn't. Therefore, we have to be a little more careful when attempting IDs.


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## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

Are you sure lilicina is not a cultivar? I don't remember. Real nurseries that develop cultivars give them legitimate names, and splendida or whatever it is may very well be a legitimate cultivar from eastern Europe. I had some of this plant from Shawn, and sold it for a while. It is different in appearance from any other Alternanthera I have seen, and it is a deep red on both sides of the leaves.


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## Overfloater (Apr 2, 2004)

Robert Hudson said:


> Are you sure lilicina is not a cultivar? I don't remember. Real nurseries that develop cultivars give them legitimate names, and splendida or whatever it is may very well be a legitimate cultivar from eastern Europe. I had some of this plant from Shawn, and sold it for a while. It is different in appearance from any other Alternanthera I have seen, and it is a deep red on both sides of the leaves.


We need to get this plant here in the states. Robert, start making friends in Eastern Europe..


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

> Are you sure lilicina is not a cultivar? I don't remember. Real nurseries that develop cultivars give them legitimate names, and splendida or whatever it is may very well be a legitimate cultivar from eastern Europe.


It could be, yes. But again, by point is that I don't think we can be sure in this case.

I may be wrong, but I don't think 'lilacina' is a cultivar. There are several naturally occuring varieties.


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## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

OK, Kasslemann, page 92, aquarium plants, Alternanthera reineckii 'purple' or lilacina. She refers to it as a cultivar.

She goes on to describe other species. A reineckii the wild plant is from South America and does not look like anything sold in the hobby. All the Alternanthera you buy are cultivated versions of reineckii. The only other specie in the hobby is sessillis, which is not true aquatic.

According to Kasselmann there is reineckii red and reineckii green, neither of which I have ever seen offered by those names, reineckii purple, (lilacina) reineckii 'Pink' or rosaefolia, (this is the largest of all the cultivars). Rosaefolia or cardinalis is what is usually sold as Red Temple.

Nurseries may have other cultivar versions. Oriental for example has a variegated lilacina and variegated reineckii. So it seems likely there could be a "splendida" reineckii version. But you are right, we can never know for sure. But do we need to? Can we just take it at face value?


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

It's all pretty confusing, but from what I gather, the wild plant is not the source of all the types we see in cultivation. An interesting question to be sure and one that I think I'll research some more.



> All the Alternanthera you buy are cultivated versions of reineckii.


True.



> The only other specie in the hobby is sessillis, which is not true aquatic.


There has been a plant passed around as _A. ocipus_. I don't know much at all about that one. There is also _A. aquatica_, the floating plant (pg 448 ). Each one is a species, not a "specie".

In my opinion, it is always preferable to make the effort to find out what we're keeping. Taking things at face value is the source of a lot of unnecessary confusion in the hobby and the reason why errors in identification are passed on for so long (as with _R. rotundifolia_ and _indica_, 'Gratiola', etc).


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Not to beat a dead horse, but...

I was looking at the entry for _Barclaya longifolia_ is Kasselmann and noticed that she refers to both the red and green varieties as "cultivars". A cultivar is an organism of any kind that originates in captivity and is maintained there. Obviously, that is not true of the _Barclaya_ varieties. But I am quite sure that she knows that. I think it may be a translation issue similar to those found on the Tropica web site.

I wonder if that has relevance to the _Alternanthera_ discussion.


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## Overfloater (Apr 2, 2004)

I have some Roseafolia that Robert graciously sent me which seems to be doing well. It looks similar to the picture but less orangey and more red, though that could be a lighting issue when the picture was taken.


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