# Identify the plant



## Egor (Dec 3, 2012)

Hello,

I have a plant, I need help determine its name.
Plant picture is attached.
Size: 18" - 30"
Freshwater tank.

Plz let me know, if need more info.


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

One of the thousands of varieties of Echinodorus. Hard to determine, if it is new (emersed) maybe uruguayensis, otherwise, I don't know, not really a Echinodorus fan


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

I mean it's likely Echinodorus subalatus. The characteristics of that species are better visible in emersed, flowering plants, but I'm quite familiar with the submersed form of subalatus. 
Leaf blades lanceolate, with acute tip and attenuate to rounded base. The main nerves arise from almost the same point at the base of the blade, while in E. uruguayensis and the grisebachii group (bleherae etc.) and E. major the innermost pair of nerves turns off the midrib considerably above the blade base.
Submersed E. palaefolius (closely related to subalatus) looks similar, but grows readily out of the water and is difficult to keep in the submersed stage in the long run.

The cross section of the petioles (leaf stalks) of emersed leaves looks quite typical in E. subalatus and palaefolius.
@Egor: Could You cut one of the longest petioles halfway between plant base and leaf blade, and take a photo of the cut surface?


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## JeffyFunk (Apr 6, 2006)

In the second picture, is that a flower? (If it is, I would say the plant is a Spathiphyllum or Peace lily... which really isn't a true aquatic plant...)


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

That is a flower, but it is a Echinodorus for sure!


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

I don't see any flower in the 2nd pic. If You mean the thing in the upper part of the pic, that's IMO a long-stalked leaf, looking bright because overexposed. I'm not sure if the long stalks on both sides are inflorescence stalks (peduncles) or long leaf petioles, but I suppose the latter.

Regarding leaf stalk cross section of E. subalatus, see the pics in this paper: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0367253007000461


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## Egor (Dec 3, 2012)

Hello, thanks everybody for answers, much appreciated!

1
Second picture shows the same kind of plant - I have two of them in my tank. There are no flower on the picture - just overexposed leaf.

The plant starts to grow as normal bush, reach 18" toll and stay like this for a while. Then, at some point of its life, it starts several very long stalks, which easily reach surface (~30") and even push half of the leaf through water surface. May be it suppose to get flowers at this point - I dunno, never seen flowers on this one. I don't have much space above water surface , tank has cover with T5 light tubes , and there are about 1-2" of air between the cover and water surface.



> @Egor: Could You cut one of the longest petioles halfway between plant base and leaf blade, and take a photo of the cut surface?


I could try. But there are only few of long ones, and it would probably hurt the plane? Are you sure we really need it? (I don't mind, just doublechecking).

2
I have second question: In my tank I have two big bushes of this Echinodorus, big cloud of Java Moss. I felt that this is not enough for such a big tank (150gal) and I tried to add Vallisneria. However, Vallistneria behave really strange.
It stars to grow, and grow very fast. However, it grows half way and then top part of Vallisneria start to die. After a while, Val stops to grow, and just keep dieing. At the moment there are few small Val's leaves and that's it.

I dunno what happen to it.

I used to have 4 t5 tubes, 40Watt each.
I then turn off half of then - no visible changes.

I add "Multi Bottom Long" 3 times per year. (http://www.adana-usa.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=76_12_24&products_id=112)
I inflate moderate amount of C02.

*Why my Vals won't grow?*
Too much light? In the past, I used to have only one single regular glow bulb, and aquarium was very dark, but Val was growing like crazy.... should I decrease number of bulbs to 1? Or should I rather add regular glow-bulb?

3
From another side, may be I should just replace Vals with some other plant, better compatible with Echinodorus? Can you , please, recommend some toll plants, long enough to reach my tank's surface (~30"~35") to be planted along with far side of the tank (sort of background), and would live well together with Echinodorus?


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

Egor said:


> The plant starts to grow as normal bush, reach 18" toll and stay like this for a while. Then, at some point of its life, it starts several very long stalks, which easily reach surface (~30") and even push half of the leaf through water surface. May be it suppose to get flowers at this point - I dunno, never seen flowers on this one. I don't have much space above water surface , tank has cover with T5 light tubes , and there are about 1-2" of air between the cover and water surface.


If You have the possibility to grow it emersed outside of the tank, on the windowsill, in a riparium or so, it would flower sooner or later.



Egor said:


> I could try. But there are only few of long ones, and it would probably hurt the plant? Are you sure we really need it? (I don't mind, just doublechecking).


It would confirm my guess if the cross section looks like the E. subalatus one. For hobbyists that's a rather unknown feature and may be interesting for other users as well. 
Anyway it's good to cut off the longest leaves now in order to achieve development of submersed leaves with shorter petioles again - at least temporarily. Same case as in other Echinodorus species that grow rather emersed by nature, e.g. Echinodorus cordifolius.


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