# Rotala 'Yao Yai', 'Singapore', 'Tropica', 'Colorata': differences?



## miremonster

From these 4 Rotalas, I know only the 'Colorata' from own experience. Or at least the plant that floats around as 'Colorata' in Germany. It differs under same conditions from "H'Ra"/"Gia Lai" that has narrower leaves with lighter coloration and more curved to horizontal growth of the stems.

But looking at pics of the other 3 Rotalas in the www, I suspect they may be the same stuff, identical to 'Colorata'. Or not? Is anyone out there who has cultivated 'Yao Yai', 'Singapore', 'Tropica' and/or 'Colorata' together in the same tank, and can describe differences, if present?

(I don't mean the species belonging, as they all are most likely forms of Rotala rotundifolia.)


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## BruceF

I have the H’ra and the Singapore. I really don’t know which is which anymore. One is redder, I think that is the Singapore, one grows more in the yellow and purple shades and one is completely green. I think the H’ra is both the green and the yellow purple. I am just in the process of separating all these right now to see which is which.

(cultivars in english.)


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## miremonster

Thx; the redder color of the Singapore vs. H'Ra matches the color difference between Colorata and H'Ra that I've seen.


BruceF said:


> and one is completely green.


If leaves (also undersides) as well as stems are always completely green under various conditions, You may have the R. 'Green' as 3rd cultivar. I've noticed that H'Ra and 'Green' are very similar in growth and leaf form, differing mainly in the color.


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## bigstick120

I have H'ra, Colorata, and one some sent me call Singapore. The H'ra has a more vertical growth for me and gets yellow/orange. Colorata grows vertical then starts to grow horzontial, it gets deep red/orange. The Singapore to me look the same as the Colorata, maybe a little more orange, but its difficult to tell the difference.

Leaf shape for me is the same on all 3 that I have.


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## asukawashere

I would agree that they're all variations on R. rotundifolia. They're too similar to each other to be anything else. On the other hand, I sometimes also suspect that _all_ Rotala, except for R. indica, is secretly R. rotundifolia.

All kidding aside, though, I've grown 'Colorata', 'Singapore' and 'H'Ra' emersed in the same tub in the past, and they're pretty much completely indistinguishable. 'H'Ra' seems to have slightly narrower, more orangey leaves in submersed form, but emersed it just looks like the others...


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## miremonster

bigstick120 said:


> The Singapore to me look the same as the Colorata, maybe a little more orange, but its difficult to tell the difference.


As I suspected... different strains but hardly distinguishable, no chance to distinguish them if not cultivated together under equal conditions.

What to do in such cases as R. "Colorata" and "Singapore"? Either to say they are the same or negligibly different and to choose 1 of the trade names for them all, 
or to continue calling them with different names but admitting that they are hardly different?


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## Shad0w

I live in Singapore but I never heard rotala "Singapore" before


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## miremonster

Shad0w said:


> I live in Singapore but I never heard rotala "Singapore" before


Maybe the name was given by traders outside Singapore who got the Rotala from there. If so, it would be interesting from which nursery / company in Singapore, and if there is or was a different name for the plant.


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## herns

Rotala Singapore have smaller leaves than Rotala Colorata. This is the major distinction I found between the two.

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...quariums/63496-rotala-sp-h-ra.html#post509406


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## armedbiggiet

I have the Singapore, tropica and the colorata in the same tank once. Singapore and tropica is like identical in every way(shape, size, color), it is more pinkish than colorata, plus bright green when there is some. Colorata is bigger with deeper red, more orange sometime, if there is some green it is more a yellowish green. So I do think Singapore is tropica cause they don't cultivate aquatic plants like tropica do. Does Singapore have any native rotalas?


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## Mac120

Imo Rotala H´ra and Rotala Singapor look somehow the same.

There are
Rotala rotundifolia
Rotala Colorata (gets red)
Rotala Yao Yai (red stem and gets more reddish even without nutrition limitation)
Rotala Pink (looks like Rotala Green, but didnt have bending grow)
Rotala India Kramer (gets ochre-yellow/brown colour)
Rotala H´ra (less colours as Colorata and has bending grow)

Some Rotalas in compare:


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## acitydweller

even in 2013, its still confusing


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