# Exactly what is Myriophyllum aquaticum?



## HeyPK

I think that there are two different plants going by that name. One of them is the Parrot's feather that likes to grow emersed, is blue-green, and very water repellent. It is more difficult to grow submersed and is a yellow-green color, more yellow than green. See picture

The other Myriophyllum aquaticum is pictured in Kasselmann, English version, p. 365, and is quite green submersed. I have, what I am pretty sure, is a plant of that, and it shows no tendency to grow emersed. Tropica also sells a Myriophyllum aquaticum, that I do not think is the "real" parrot's feather.


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## Robert Hudson

There are several species of Myriophyllum. M. heterophyllum is what Florida aquatic sells as Red Foxtail, green foxtail is another one, and Parrots feather is another. (I don't have the actual names because I never buy them)There is also Myriophyllum hippuroides, and Myriophyllum matogrossense, (which is a brighter red) Floridas "Red" foxtail is more of a brown rust red, but it grows real fast and is very tolerant of most any conditions. Matogrossense is imported, grows very slow, and is more sensitive to conditions.

"Parrots feather" and "Foxtail" are distinctly different looking. Green and red foxtail grow thick leaves that are almost feathery looking like Ambulia where as Parrots feather is more course looking with wider spaces between the leaves. That is my general observation. You pic definetly looks like the parrots feather that I have see. Popular pond plant. I have never cared for it. Looks ugly and ratty to me.

So, I realize you were only commenting on "aquaticum", but I thought I would throw that in !


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## Error

I believe Kasselmann's assessment of the situation is accurate. What is commonly sold as "Filigree Myrio/Frill" I believe is M. simulans. Parrot's feather seems to be closest to M. aquaticum...perhaps Kasselmann grew hers in lower light.

Paul, I think your light is a little on the yellow side. Take a piece out an examine it in sunlight above a piece of white paper.

Robert, the red Myrio you're referring to as "M. mattogrossense" is not the real M. mattogrossense. It is M. tuberculatum, though as you noted, M. heterophyllum is often sold as such. The real M. mattogrossense is quite green. There should be a picture of it in both Kasselmann and the APC PlantFinder.

As I understand it, what is sold as "foxtail" is usually M. pinnatum.


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## Robert Hudson

Well, maybe so, I only go by what the Asian exporters list as names, and Fishvet has it listed as matogrossense with a picture of a bright red plant. Florida Aquatic Nurseries list the Red Foxtail as heterophyllum, and as I said it is a rust red color. Their green foxtail doesn't look like parrot feather, the leave are not shaped like the spiky, needle like clusters that Parrots feather has. They ar ethick and brush like.


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## HeyPK

> Paul, I think your light is a little on the yellow side. Take a piece out an examine it in sunlight above a piece of white paper.


. 
The color is accurate. The plants were grown (and photographed) with 5000K compact fluorescent light, 80 watts on a 20 gallon tank. The color in the picture is just the way it looks to me. Notice the normal green color of the other plants in the tank.

I still have some of the parrot's feather plant, now growing emerse in a gallon jar on the windowsill. I can submerge some of it and try growing it with lower light and see if it gets greener and more like the plants in Kasselmann's picture. The other plant I have that does look like Kasselmann's photo, and which prefers to grow submerse and is green, is clearly a different plant. If it isn't M. aquaticum, I wonder what it is. I'll get a picture of it, soon. I will grow a piece of it with the parrot's feather for comparison.


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## Cavan Allen

Paul,

Can you give any information about leaves per whorl, divisions in leaves, etc? That might help.

Robert,

Error is correct. The plant you've pictured is in fact _Myriophyllum tuberculatum_. It's very distinctive (not to mention impressive). I'm not even sure there is a reddish form of mattogrossense. Unfortunately, the two are still confused by growers and sellers.


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## Robert Hudson

OK, Arizona Aquatic lists the latin names with all their plants, and they buy from Florida Aquatic as I do, here is what they have:

Foxtail, Fril (Myriophyllum simulans)
Foxtail, Green (Myriophyllum pinnatum)
Foxtail, Red (Myriophyllum heterophyllum)
Parrot's Feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum) POND/TERRARIUM USE ONLY, UGLY AQUARIUM PLANT (I couldn't agree more)

Now I got the name heterophyllum from my invoice from them. Fishvet imports a heterophyllum from Asia but it looks and grows entirely different. I can't argue the point with you because I only know what the wholesalers tell me, and I know what it looks like and how it grows, (I've been buying it for five years now) but I am really curious how you guys can be so sure of yourselves, where do you get your information from? There is very little information or pictures of ANY of these Myriophyllum species. Maybe I should get one of all five, (including Fishvet) and send them to you! I mean no disrespect, honest!


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## Error

Just check out Kasselmann (text as well as pictures) and the section in the back of her book giving the Latin for the "common names" (Hornwort is Ceratophyllum demersum, for example).


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## Robert Hudson

OK, but I am teling you Kasslemans picture of tuberculatum looks very red, and looks nothing like the Red Foxtail FAN sells as heterophyllum. Red foxtail is not red at all, but brownish rust colored, and has finer and more dense leaf growth.

Kasselmann says, quote, "For 20 years this species, (tuberculatum) has been falsely listed under the names M. hippuroides and M. mattogrossense" She makes no mention of heterophyllum being mis named or any mention of the name at all.


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## Error

No one said heterophyllum was not a valid species and that it's not distributed as "red foxtail" (it is). We're just saying those two photos are both M. tuberculatum and that M. mattogrossense is not red at all.


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## Robert Hudson

Oh, OK, I guess I am getting confused now, which isn't difficult. The first pic I put up because it looks the closest to "Red foxtail" that I could find


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## Phil Edwards

The biggest problem with ID and commercial distribution is that 99% of the time plants are sold under a common trade name ie: "Red Foxtail". Most of the time it takes a botanist to make a positive ID of the species and that can be a tedious/difficult/expensive prospect for a farm like FAN. It's a lot easier to sell very similar, yet different, species under the same trade name. 

It's also very possible for the plants to have started out as the same in all respects and change as different traits are selected for in different farms. A lot of horticultural varieties get started this way. C. wendtii "tropica" is still C. wendtii, but it tends to have slightly different traits than "normal" C. wendtii. If you want to know for certain which species is which, you'll have to flower it and use some sort of guide that will tell you exactly what it is based on floral structure.


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