# Collected plant in Trinidad



## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

I collected this plant in Trinidad. By all descriptions it appears to be Egeria densa. However, I simply can't feel comfortable calling it this since I've been growing it at 83F water and I know real Egeria densa tends to die off at temperatures significantly lower than this.

Is this Egeria densa or a variant that can tolerate very warm waters? Or perhaps a totally different plant altogether? Could this be hydrilla verticillata?


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## KraKen (Jul 17, 2008)

It looks kind of like egeria najas only darker. I don't know what range of temperatures that can survive in.


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## SOLOMON (Sep 24, 2006)

Hydrilla verticillata?


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

I second _Hydrilla_. If that is correct, it's invasive (just FYI) .

http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/node/183

-Dave


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

I see that Hydrilla produces little root tubers. I haven't seen mine form these yet. I can't seem to find any info on how long it takes for them to form the tubers though. Do you think they may take a while to form?


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

Zapins said:


> I see that Hydrilla produces little root tubers. I haven't seen mine form these yet. I can't seem to find any info on how long it takes for them to form the tubers though. Do you think they may take a while to form?


I suppose it could take some time, but I really don't know. How long does it take the usual aquatic plant to form a mature root system (I'm assuming the tubers would be on mature root systems) ?


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Hmm good point. I'm not really sure either. I've had 1 stem rooted in my soil substrate tank for 6 months now and it hasn't developed any tubers. The rest of the stems were all grown floating.

The rooted stem only had 3 or 4 long roots, about 6 inches in length with lots of root hairs. I don't think it is Egeria densa based on the way the root looked since I haven't seen anacharis grow fuzzy roots. I'm not sure if the 3-4 roots is a mature root system though.

I did notice that in a youtube identification video it mentioned hydrilla has a little barb on the leaf midrib. I don't recall noticing it in my last casual inspection of the plant, but then again I wasn't specifically looking for it since I didn't know it was particular to hydrilla. I suppose I'll have to inspect it next time I go home, or to my soil tank in admissions.

Here is a picture of the leaf close up.


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

That looks like Hydrilla to me, too. Hydrilla develops the tubers when given short day conditions. See www.apms.org/japm/vol35/v35p60.pdf


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Fascinating info! Thanks.

I think it is hydrilla too, but I want to check for the midrib barbs before committing to hydrilla.

I haven't seen it for sale anywhere, do you think it is illegal in most states, or just not very useful in aquascaping?


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Zapins said:


> I haven't seen it for sale anywhere, do you think it is illegal in most states, or just not very useful in aquascaping?


Both. It doesn't look all that great and is an absolutely horrendous aquatic weed.


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

It's one of the Federal Noxious Week list. Here in Florida, it has been known to choke nearly entire lakes and large stretches of rivers.


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## SOLOMON (Sep 24, 2006)

Cavan Allen said:


> Both. It doesn't look all that great and is an absolutely horrendous aquatic weed.


I think it's a really pretty plant, it's just too bad it tends to be invasive...


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Heh, heh, heh.... lots of plants are on the noxious weeds list - but that doesn't stop people from selling it  It wouldn't be invasive if people didn't release it into the wild 

Strangely enough my inbox has space for PMs


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