# Florida Ditch Plant ID (again!)



## Esteroali (Oct 1, 2007)

OK I made two new finds this week and this is what I am thinking they are...
1. Limnophila sessiflora









2. Cabomba caroliniana









3.Myriophyllum aquaticum









This is what else I have collected and is growing pretty well....
Ludwigia repens
Bacopa (monnieri??)
Eleocharis sp
Hygrophila polysperma
Najas sp
Proserpinaca palustris
Micranthemum sp
Potomogeton sp...(very nice!)
Hydrocotyle sp


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## THHNguyen (Dec 2, 2006)

The last one reminds me of Proserpinaca pectinata. Was it growing above water when you found it?
The 2nd one is definitely not a Cabomba and the first ID is right.


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## Esteroali (Oct 1, 2007)

HMMM.... I have Proserpinaca palutris which I am pretty sure about. I found the unidentified plant growing emmersed but it is growing WELL immersed. I have never heard of the plant you mentioned.


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

_Proserpinaca pectinata_ is 'comb-leaf mermaidweed'. Unlike _P. palustris _(which has distinct emersed vs. submersed leaves), it has fine-textured leaves both emersed and submersed. _P. pectinata_ is just as common as _P. palustris_, at least in the South.

I tried growing some in my tank and, although it developed a beautiful red/orange color, my water quality was poor (new set-up) and it gradually faded away.

Here's a link:
http://aquat1.ifas.ufl.edu/node/661

-Dave


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## Romi (May 23, 2009)

I am duly ashamed, of wanting to resurrect an ancient thread, but can someone Puhleeeese give me some idea what the plant mislabeled as Cabomba caroliana actually is? And if it is a suitable aquarium plant. I so love it.


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

General question: Often I read excuses of users who reanimate old threads. But isn't it better to do so when the posting matchs the topic and especially if an issue isn't resolved, than opening a new thread about the same topic?

Plant 2: I speculate it's the submersed (juvenile?) form of something from the family Apiaceae = umbellifers. I mean to have seen similar submersed leaves of an Oenanthe(?) in Germany growing in shallow waters in the spring. Perhaps mature emersed Apiaceae-type plants can be found in that ditch in Florida?

Plant 3: If the leaves are rather in whorls than alternate, it's surely a Myriophyllum and not Proserpinaca.


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## asukawashere (Mar 11, 2009)

miremonster said:


> Plant 2: I speculate it's the submersed (juvenile?) form of something from the family Apiaceae = umbellifers. I mean to have seen similar submersed leaves of an Oenanthe(?) in Germany growing in shallow waters in the spring. Perhaps mature emersed Apiaceae-type plants can be found in that ditch in Florida?


Perhaps something from _Cyclospermum_ or _Ptilimnium_? A quick USDA PLANTS search turned those up as similarly-structured genera of wetland plants native to FL. There are Oenanthe species in the U.S., but they're only found along the west coast and the Great Lakes.


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

Thank You for the pointer, I see there's quite a number of species from these umbellifers in the southern U.S. It would be really interesting to find out if some of them make good aquarium plants. As far as I've read, they are rather annuals, but that's also the case in several aquarium plants that can be cultivated as perennial yet.


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