# difference between Limnophila Aromatica and L. hippuroides



## jdigiorgio (Jan 29, 2004)

ANYONE know what or IF there is a difference between these or are people just using different names? Looking over old posts from years ago, this questions was never really answered.

I am wondering if it just grows differently, shape and color in different tanks and that is why there is so much confusion.


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Short answer: Probably a different form of _L. aromatica_, not something caused by tank conditions.

Long answer:
_Limnophila hippuridoides_ (not "hippuroides", a misspelling) was described in 1970 by Philcox based on plants from Malaysia that differed from previously known _L. aromatica_ by submerged leaves in whorls of more than 3 (others are opposite or in 3s) and some relatively minor differences in the flowers.*

_L. aromatica_ is a very widespread species that can be quite variable, and from what I understand, the differences are not considered enough to merit species status. For now, it's an unresolved issue**, though I suppose that eventually, someone will really get to the bottom of it, perhaps through genetic studies. _L. aromaticoides_, described in 1997 from Taiwanese plants, and also with whorled submersed leaves (but with white flowers) has been synonymized with _L. aromatica_ already, which might portend the future of the plant in question.*** Or not. 

I could see it being assigned variety status, though that has _not_ happened yet.

*Note that _Ludwigia inclinata_ also has plants that remain alternately leaved or whorled submersed var. inclinata and var. verticillata).

** http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl/record/kew-2497758

*** http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200020693


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

Tropica is selling the hippuridiodes now. Any updates on the status?


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Unfortunately, not.


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

From the description of Limnophila aromatica (incl. aromaticoides) in Flora of China: "Leaves opposite or in whorls of 3, ..."
Seemingly the authors didn't bother with the submersed habit of that species, as the "aromaticoides" has more than 3 submerged leaves in a whorl.
Even the Limnophila key: http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=118595
starts with:
"Plants with both submerged and aerial leaves."
vs.
"Plants with aerial leaves only." (leading to i.a. L. aromatica)
May be helpful in the field, but not for aquarists.

Btw., I wonder if the mentioned "aromaticoides" (whorled narrow submersed leaves, light green, emersed plant with white flowers) is still in the hobby. I know that plant from the photo in Kasselmann, "Aquarienpflanzen" only. In an older edition of the book (1995, before the description of the species 1997) the plant was called Limnophila sp. "Taiwan".


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

Yo-han said:


> Tropica is selling the hippuridiodes now. Any updates on the status?


I'm puzzled: In their database is currently "Limnophila aromatica", 047B, quote: "The variety proposed by Tropica is said to come from Malaysia" 
http://www.tropica.com/en/plants/plantdescription.aspx?pid=047B
as well as "L. hippuridoides", 047C, allegedly new: 
http://www.tropica.com/en/plants/plantdescription.aspx?pid=047C
Seeing their photos and descriptions, it seems to me that 047 B & C are the same plant, L. hippuridoides... but I have not had the opportunity to compare both plants in a tank.


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

We had both at our lfs. Not much difference. I'll add them both to one of our display tanks soon. I've grown the hipperoides since my last post. I didn't saw much difference with the aromatica I once grew. I'll try them side by side but I think they are both aromatica. Just like my aromatica had a little more wavy leaves compared to the aromatica other people kept in Europe. Here a picture from the two species side by side:


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

Yo-han said:


> I'll try them side by side


Great, thx; let's see if there's any difference at all when the 2 Tropica plants are grown under the same conditions for a while.


Yo-han said:


> but I think they are both aromatica.


So you mean L. hippuridoides in the sense of Kasselmann 2010. By now I use the name L. hippuridoides for that particular aquarium plant with quite many, more or less red leaves per whorl, even if it's possible that it falls into the variation range of the variable(!) species L. aromatica (apparently no paper is published where L. hippuridoides is synonymized with aromatica).


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

... I meant "for now", not "by now"... too late for editing.


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

Placed both in my 100G side by side today. About the emersed plants:
- L. hippuridoides:  came in quite small this time. From what I can count, 2, 3 and 4 leaves per whorl. According to tropica it needs more CO2 and more light compared to the aromatica.

- L. aromatica:  came in quite big, only 3 leaves per whorl. Came in a ceramic ring instead of a pot, so I hope this is an emersed form and not already submersed.

I update in a few weeks, but I really assume it is at best a local variety. Like I've Rotala sp. 'Kramer', R. sp. 'Yao Yai' R. sp. 'Singapore' and rotundifolia. All just a little different in size and colaration and growth habit, but I think not enough to really separate them botanically.


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

Yo-han said:


> Placed both in my 100G side by side today. About the emersed plants:
> - L. hippuridoides:  came in quite small this time. From what I can count, 2, 3 and 4 leaves per whorl. According to tropica it needs more CO2 and more light compared to the aromatica.
> - L. aromatica:  came in quite big, only 3 leaves per whorl. Came in a ceramic ring instead of a pot, so I hope this is an emersed form and not already submersed.
> I update in a few weeks, but I really assume it is at best a local variety.


I also believe it's possible that both plants are local variants of Limnophila hippuridoides, not aromatica in the sense of Kasselmann 2010; but we'll see.



Yo-han said:


> Like I've Rotala sp. 'Kramer', R. sp. 'Yao Yai' R. sp. 'Singapore' and rotundifolia. All just a little different in size and colaration and growth habit, but I think not enough to really separate them botanically.


I'm quite sure the first 3 are also forms of R. rotundifolia, although I haven't yet seen them flower. At least the "Colorata" has typical R. rotundiflora inflorescences, the same plant is also erroneously sold as "indica".


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

Yo-han said:


> Placed both in my 100G side by side today. About the emersed plants:
> - L. hippuridoides:  came in quite small this time. From what I can count, 2, 3 and 4 leaves per whorl. According to tropica it needs more CO2 and more light compared to the aromatica.
> 
> - L. aromatica:  came in quite big, only 3 leaves per whorl. Came in a ceramic ring instead of a pot, so I hope this is an emersed form and not already submersed.
> ...


I obtained a 3th 'L. aromatica' from a Dutch nursery. It was flowering so I took some crappy phone pictures and took one stem home to make better pictures of the flower, but the flower already withered. The plant itself had mostly 2 and some 3 leaved whorls. I placed it next to the other two which start to look very similar submersed (with the only difference so far that the 'hippuridoides' seems to be a little less wide, but than again, it grew quite slow for the first weeks because it was in really bad shape when I received it.


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

Here a quick snapshot from the 3 plants side by side. The big one on the left is bought as L. aromatica from Tropica. The 3 tips next to it are L. hippuridiodes from Tropica and the one in front of the Staurogyne is the one from the last picture, still converting.










(and on the left my C. sp. 'Flamingo, which has thrown out a sixth leaf )


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

Thank you for the update!
So we can already say that the first 2 plants develop different size under the same conditions?
My guess is that the 1st, with the aromatica label from Tropica, belongs to the (L. aromatica?) strain that's temporarily called Limnophila "hippuridoides green" on flowgrow.de. When it grew side by side with the red "aromatica" (hippuridoides sensu Kasselmann 2010) in a tank, it got considerably bigger (longer leaves, thicker stem) and less red, rather light green with pink leaf underside. http://www.flowgrow.de/pflanzen-allgemein/mal-ein-paar-pflanzenfotos-t13566.html#p153473


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

Here another update:









The difference between the Tropica aromatic (#1 from now on) and the Tropica hippuridiodes (#2) is great. #1 grows twice as fast, has broader and longer leaves and is much more red under the same amount of light (side by side). The aromatica from the Dutch nursery (#3) is looking more and more like the hippuridiodes (#2). #2 and #3 will probably be the same as the left one in the picture below, when they grow more towards the light.










The wavy aromatica (or should I say hippuridiodes) is another variant.


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

Thank you! 


Yo-han said:


> The wavy aromatica (or should I say hippuridiodes) is another variant.


Do you mean the light green L. a. "Wavy", IMO identical with the "rice paddy herb" from the Asian markets? That belongs really to Limnophila aromatica.


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

miremonster said:


> Thank you!
> Do you mean the light green L. a. "Wavy", IMO identical with the "rice paddy herb" from the Asian markets? That belongs really to Limnophila aromatica.


I mean the one on the right in my last picture. Circulating as regular aromatica on Dutch forums. I've never seen aromatica in an Asian market (I lived next to one for a few years) but Aaron sells one from time to time which has a much broader leave: http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/sale-trade/89288-c-flamingo-e-compressum-l-uniflora.html


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

OK; the plant in your last photo at the right is surely also hippuridoides, following the distinction in Kasselmann (2010). Wherever one looks: variation...
The rice paddy herb:

__
https://flic.kr/p/3460922588
When I drowned that vegetable in my tank, the submerged form looked like Aaron's "Wavy".


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