# south african plant



## wearsbunnyslippers (Feb 18, 2008)

its a small plant, slow growing. even in high light with co2.

the leaves are about 2-3cm long depending on the light, longer in lower light..

it was collected from one of our local dams and it has been growing submerged the whole time, about 8 months now.

this is the plant under 2 24w's with no co2, on the right is fissidens fontanus for size comparison.










here you can see a couple of runner with new plants. the new plant on the left is also from the plant in the middle, so it creeps quite far. it has a nice spiral growth pattern as it gets older. this is about 3 months of growth so you can see how slowly it grows.. this is fine inert gravel with nothing underneath.










this is what it looks like under high light, a 39w over a nano with pressurized co2. this is about 2 months of growth and each plant has put out 3-4 new plants. the algae is growing quicker than the plants in this tank, so i think it is a pretty slow grower. this is in flourite with some npk, peat and laterite.










this is what it looks like under low light with co2. it kinda looks like a micro lilaeopsis. this is the original plant and it has taken over one corner of that tank. i breed endlers in that tank so i dont mind the water staying green.. that is marsilea and the equivalent granule size of powder sand.










anyone got any ideas what it could be, its definitely aquatic!


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## BruceF (Aug 5, 2011)

Pilularia? just a wag.


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

If the new leaves are coming out straight, rather than as a coil that unrolls, then it is not Pilularia. I haven't a guess what it is, however.

Picture of Pilularia


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## wearsbunnyslippers (Feb 18, 2008)

new leaves come out straight, not curled up like that pic..


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Closeup? No flowers found?


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## wearsbunnyslippers (Feb 18, 2008)

it was growing emerged like a very small tight bunch of lilaeospis. i just took a chance that if it was growing were it was, it must be submerged most of the time so it might be aquatic.

i will get a better camera and take one out of the tank for a photo..


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

It might be _littorella uniflora_.


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Not in South Africa


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

@wearsbunnyslippers: do You have the possibility to visit again the locality at the dam, to look after flowers/seeds etc.? The best for ID would be a whole plant with flowers and/or fruits, pressed as herbarium specimen. (as always in such cases)


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## SOLOMON (Sep 24, 2006)

It looks kinda similar to what I know as Lilaeopsis polyantha, but i believe its endemic to Aus.


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## wearsbunnyslippers (Feb 18, 2008)

miremonster said:


> @wearsbunnyslippers: do You have the possibility to visit again the locality at the dam, to look after flowers/seeds etc.? The best for ID would be a whole plant with flowers and/or fruits, pressed as herbarium specimen. (as always in such cases)


i will grow some emersed to try and let it flower..


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

Are there any lists of South African aquatic plants that show anything that looks like it? I looked through a publication, EASY IDENTIFICATION OF AQUATIC
PLANTS by AnneliseGerber, CarinaJCilliers, Carin van Ginkel and Rene Glen, 
http://www.dwaf.gov.za/iwqs/biomon/aquaplantsa/DWAF_2004_Easy_identification_of_Aquatic_Plants_web.pdf
and I didn't see anything like it. The closest thing was _Limosella maior_, and that wasn't very close.


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Possibly _Isoetes_? Hard to tell without closeup.


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

Does _Isoetes_ propagate by way of runners?


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## wearsbunnyslippers (Feb 18, 2008)

some closeups..

no luck getting it back to emersed so far, keeps drying out..

click on the pics for larger..





and from this:










to this:


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## wearsbunnyslippers (Feb 18, 2008)

Cavan Allen said:


> Possibly _Isoetes_? Hard to tell without closeup.


i think it is also an isoetes!


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

HeyPK said:


> Does _Isoetes_ propagate by way of runners?


AFAIK, there's no Isoetes with runners. I think the South African plant isn't an Isoetes.
Any progress in the meanwhile regarding emersed culture or finding of emersed flowering/fruiting plants in their locality?


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## wearsbunnyslippers (Feb 18, 2008)

miremonster said:


> AFAIK, there's no Isoetes with runners. I think the South African plant isn't an Isoetes.
> Any progress in the meanwhile regarding emersed culture or finding of emersed flowering/fruiting plants in their locality?


some of them do have runners..










http://www.bihrmann.com/caudiciforms/subs/iso-vel-sub.asp


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

I've grown Isoetes velata myself for a while and know that quillwort from the Botanical Garden Goettingen, too; slow grower developing a corm at the base like other Isoetes species. A video by Massimo Iannella: 



But it seems that other plants are in the trade under the label "I. velata". According to Stephan Mönninghoff (extraplant.com) they are actually Lilaeopsis macloviana. I can't say for sure if the "I. velata" with runners on the bihrmann.com site is really L. macloviana, but it's definitely no Isoetes.


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Nope, it definitely isn't. Until we get a fertile plants, we'll still be guessing.

For miremonster:
http://www.centerforplantconservation.org/Collection/CPC_ViewProfile.asp?CPCNum=2348

Not runners, no, but a fascinating plant nonetheless.


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Nope, it definitely isn't. Until we get a fertile plants, we'll still be guessing.

For miremonster:
http://www.centerforplantconservation.org/Collection/CPC_ViewProfile.asp?CPCNum=2348

Not runners, no, but a fascinating plant nonetheless.


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

Cavan Allen said:


> For miremonster:
> http://www.centerforplantconservation.org/Collection/CPC_ViewProfile.asp?CPCNum=2348
> 
> Not runners, no, but a fascinating plant nonetheless.


Really fascinating... surprising that this species was discovered so late. Hopefully these rock pool habitats are successfully protected.


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

Hi again,
in that old thread: http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plant-id/38787-different-lilaeopsis.html a runner-forming plant (Lilaeopsis macloviana? Parsnip-like smell => surely at least an umbellifer) that was sold as "Isoetes velata varsicula" is shown. Possibly the same stuff as the "Isoetes" on http://www.bihrmann.com/caudiciforms/subs/iso-vel-sub.asp


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Any update on this plant? Did you manage to flower it? Would be nice to eventually get this plant in the US


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## Black Hills Tj (Jul 19, 2013)

Zapins said:


> Any update on this plant? Did you manage to flower it? Would be nice to eventually get this plant in the US


No kidding. Will customs let you get a box of this out of South Africa and into the States?


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