# 3 Plants for ID



## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

*These were found in Liberty County. *

*The first was in a drainage ditch and I believe it to be mature Proserpinaca palustris (the top 1" of the whole group was standing out of the water) . I planted 5 stems of it to see how it does.*


















*The next was found in a forested wetland while I was looking at some tree-dozing. I'm thinking it may be the same as above, just younger? Leaves are alternate if it doesn't show well in the pics.*


























*The last was found in the same area as the second. The purple part of the petiole is what was growing above the ground. This was in a hydric soil, but was not in water. The area is short on rainfall, so that area may normally be in standing water...can't say for sure.*

























*Any ideas? Can anyone confirm the first as Mermaid weed?*
-Dave


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

#2 is a Myriophyllum species. I don't recognize #3.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

The third looks like a hydrcotyle of some type.


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Both of the first two are _Proserpinaca_. The first is definitely _P. palustris_. The second, maybe. They can look amazingly like _Myriophyllum_, but the alternate leaves are a dead giveaway. The most obvious difference between the two is in the emersed growth: _P pectinata_ always has the really fine leaves. See here:
http://www.alabamaplants.com/Greenalt/Proserpinaca_pectinata_page.html

_P. palustris_ emersed leaves are like the uppermost leaves of the first plant (doesn't always look like the kind Tropica sells). Some just end up finer than others submersed. We've found the really fine _P. palustris_ here as well. I'm not sure yet if it's a subspecies issue or just regional variation. So, you may have to grow them emersed or at least side by side in your tank for a while to see if they're different.

I don't know what the third plant is.


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

Thanks guys (and Gal).  

P. pectinata, I just looked and it's found locally in this part of Texas, so it's a definite possibility. I'll grow a few stems of it in my tank with the other, and take a couple stems of each to work to grow emersed.

That third one may not be aquatic at all, but I'm certain it's at least a "Facultative Wetland" plant if not an "Obligate". The entire area I was in was 50+ acres of forested wetland that had been cut down and prepped for re-planting. I have it floating in my tank for now. If it dies, it dies. 

-Dave


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

I just watched a short video on combleaf mermaid weed (_Proserpinaca. pectinata_) and I am convinced that is the identity of plant#2. There were a couple stems that had the 3-angeled nutlets, but as I was sorting out only 'healthy' looking stems and tossing the rest, I didn't bother to save any of these.

Here's a link to _P. pectinata_ with the video from the aquatic plant database in Florida:
http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/node/661

I'll still grow it in the tank and emersed in hopes of getting some good info on it compared to _P.palustris_.
The next time I'm visiting that site, I'll get some good photos, along with a few other neat plants I saw.

-Dave


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## SOLOMON (Sep 24, 2006)

Could the 3rd be _Colocasia_, possibly juvenile runners or something along those lines...

http://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/a..._Plants/Media/Html/Fact_sheets/colocasia.html


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## ed seeley (Dec 1, 2006)

The third looks like a _Ranunculus_ or closely related genera. In other words a buttercup, though there are aquatic members of the genus so it might be worth a trial. If it wasn't on a runner then I'd say it looked like a Marsh Marigold which will grow as a marginal plant but not completely submerged IME.


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## Esteroali (Oct 1, 2007)

I collect a lot of Proserpinaca locally. I can be difficult to transition from emmersed to submerged unless you catch it at the right phase of emerging. The soft green plant is #1 is perfect for making the transition. Mermaid weed is everywhere here in Florida in empty lots/ditches but looks very different than what we see in our tanks so most people would not recognize it. Also once it gets woody it seems impossible to take it back to submerged. There seems to be a seasonal component to this plant also. It seems easy to grow it in the winter but when I collect it is the summer it doesn't do well.Ludwigia's do the same thing. Cavan...do these plants exhibit seasons??


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