# floating plant ID help please



## joshua_pope2001 (Jan 17, 2007)

anyone have a clue what the common and scientific name of this plant is..... I have had it for a while and have no clue what it is


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

That is a variety of water sprite, genus _Ceratopteris_. This rather broad leaved variety is sometimes called_ C. cornuata _.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

That's really pretty! Does it stay that size or get larger? I like it.


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

I believe it can get quite a bit larger. this is one that I had back around 1969. It is floating in the upper right corner. You can see how big it is compared to the E. bleheri sword.


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## greenjoe (Jan 14, 2006)

I definitely agree that it is a ceratopteris of some sort. Although, I bet that plant is baby ceratopteris pteroides. If it is it will eventually grow fairly large with leaves raised above the surface.


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## cs_gardener (Apr 28, 2006)

I have some Ceratopteris pteroides. During the winter when it gets less light mine stays around 4" across. When it starts getting more light it revs into high gear growing over 12" across and the leaves change from solid to highly branched. Luckily it will have a bunch of baby plants I can detach from the edges of the leaves so when it gets too big I remove the monster mother plant and keep the babies.


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

The correct name of this swimming water sprite species is Ceratopteris pteridoides (not pteroides).


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## joshua_pope2001 (Jan 17, 2007)

miremonster said:


> The correct name of this swimming water sprite species is Ceratopteris pteridoides (not pteroides).


thanks I was a little confused about that.... Have a great day!!!


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

Now I've found the spelling "pteroides" in the plant finder, but I think C. pteridoides is correct because it is used in botanical literature: http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=200003557


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Hmmm... That's probably correct. I know a fern guy and will ask him shortly. All indications seem to say that you're right. Curiously, IPNI has it both ways:
http://www.ipni.org/ipni/advPlantNa...off&query_type=by_query&back_page=plantsearch


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## joshua_pope2001 (Jan 17, 2007)

thanks a lot.... I love this stuff it is going nuts in my tank


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

I've fixed it for now and likely won't be changing it back (thanks miremonster). I would like to find out what the deal is with that IPNI reference, just to see.


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