# Edible plants?



## exbf (Jul 25, 2011)

I was just wondering if there are edible plants to put in my tank? Is it good enough to put in my salad? Thanks. 


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## Tugg (Jul 28, 2013)

I doubt there is anything you could put actuall IN the tank. Though a few people have been known to circulate their water in an aquaponics setup to grow normal veggies.

Aquaponics is basically the same as hydroponics, exept instead of fertalizing the water, you feed fish (which fertalize the water for you).


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

There are a few edible species of aquatic plants. Lemon bacopa, limnophila aromatica, and duckweed come to mind.

You'd want to grow them emersed though (out of the water) in regular garden soil if you want to eat them. Growing things in the tank water might not be the best idea.

Asukawashere has a bigger list of edible plants, perhaps she will post a reply.


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## old 97 (Jul 25, 2011)

http://examine.com/supplements/Bacopa+monnieri/
I would stick with emergent growth myself


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

Stick with emergent growth and don't use chemicals like excel. Best probably to grow them in wet potting soil in an emersed setup specifically for that purpose. 

Persicaria odorata and Limnophila aromatica can be found in Asian markets.


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## Aquat (Feb 1, 2012)

Pennywort makes an awesome drink where I come from! :bounce:

http://wanderingchopsticks.blogspot.com/2008/02/nuoc-rau-ma-vietnamese-pennywort-juice.html


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## Tugg (Jul 28, 2013)

It would never occur to me to blend an aquarium plant and drink it.


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Tugg said:


> It would never occur to me to blend an aquarium plant and drink it.


Haha, there are a lot of edible plants that people don't take advantage of. On the one hand it is food, on the other hand we are used to seeing it in our tanks so I can understand why it seems odd.


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## Tugg (Jul 28, 2013)

I just find it funny that I thought about setting up a mini aquaponic rig to grow herbs... just to find out I already was. I don't have Pennywort, but my Limnophila aromatica grows like a weed.


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## Aquat (Feb 1, 2012)

They have it canned too for you convenience. Just go to a local Asian market, they should have it in the drink section. In-case you were curious to what your aquatic friend taste like.


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## Tugg (Jul 28, 2013)

Its so wrong how bad I want to try this now. Looks like Im going to Carollton tomorrow.


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

Aquat said:


> Pennywort makes an awesome drink where I come from! :bounce:
> 
> http://wanderingchopsticks.blogspot.com/2008/02/nuoc-rau-ma-vietnamese-pennywort-juice.html


It's written that Hydrocotyle leucocephala is the used plant, e.g. according to Plant finder: 
"An interesting fact about H. leucocephala is that it is edible. The leaves have a slight peppery taste and are used as a spice and even the basis for a soda in some parts of the world." http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plantfinder/details.php?id=146

But I mean that the used plant, also depicted on the beverage can, is not a Hydrocotyle at all but _Centella asiatica_: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centella_asiatica
I've seen it offered in Asian markets here in Germany. Although it has the synonym Hydrocotyle asiatica, it's quite far from the Hydrocotyle species, they are even included in different albeit related families nowadays:
Hydrocotyle => Araliaceae (same family as e.g. ivy and ginseng)
Centella => Apiaceae (as well as carrot, parsley, hemlock etc.)


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## Tanan (Mar 11, 2009)

I think I've heard of Vals and Cabomba used in soups and cuisines.


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## Aquat (Feb 1, 2012)

miremonster said:


> It's written that Hydrocotyle leucocephala is the used plant, e.g. according to Plant finder:
> "An interesting fact about H. leucocephala is that it is edible. The leaves have a slight peppery taste and are used as a spice and even the basis for a soda in some parts of the world." http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plantfinder/details.php?id=146
> 
> But I mean that the used plant, also depicted on the beverage can, is not a Hydrocotyle at all but _Centella asiatica_: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centella_asiatica
> ...


Well, it's mainly for advertising. The company doesn't care, they just need something to put on their label and I don't think the general public does either.

But yeah, I still remember sitting at a local eatery everyday after school and enjoying a tall glass of freshly made Pennywort  That was 15+ years ago

Disclaimer: nothing beats the real stuff


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

Only now I realize that Centella asiatica is already mentioned in your link.
I think the name "Pennywort" for the Centella isn't really wrong, common names are frequently ambiguous anyway. And synonyms as Hydrocotyle asiatica often persist stubbornly, however their meaning is clear.

There's still a number of edible plants among the aquarium plant species, some are mentioned in the Kasselmann book; I'll look.
I remember Ottelia alismoides, pond or duck lettuce, mentioned here along with several other well-known species: http://ideas.repec.org/p/iwt/conppr/h042891.html


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## illustrator (Jul 18, 2010)

Water sprite is also supposed to be edible, which is rather remarcable considering that many ferns are toxic. i don't know if this is the case for all species or only for the floating one which occurs in China.


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

illustrator said:


> i don't know if this is the case for all species or only for the floating one which occurs in China.


 Are there sources where that floating Ceratopteris from China that you mean is described or depicted?

Just I've found that (Grubben, "Vegetables"): http://books.google.de/books?id=6jr...AQ#v=onepage&q=ceratopteris vegetable&f=false
They call the Ceratopteris used as vegetable in SE Asia C. thalictroides (including C. cornuta).
If one looks at literature about C. from the last years, water sprite taxonomy appears pretty complex; cryptic species, "northern", "southern" and "3rd type" of C. thalictroides; multiple hybrid origin of C. taxa; C. cornuta as own species, also occurring in Asia, not only Africa, etc  I don't fully understand the whole matter yet.
According to aquarium literature the floating Ceratopteris pteridoides is a New World species, but in several papers it's designated as indigenous also in China and other Asian countries: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304377007000447


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## alanle (May 8, 2013)

Aquat said:


> Pennywort makes an awesome drink where I come from! :bounce:
> 
> http://wanderingchopsticks.blogspot.com/2008/02/nuoc-rau-ma-vietnamese-pennywort-juice.html


Thabks for sharing. I never knew rau ma is pennyworth.



Aquat said:


> They have it canned too for you convenience. Just go to a local Asian market, they should have it in the drink section. In-case you were curious to what your aquatic friend taste like.


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