# Collected plant ID help



## S-KGray (Nov 29, 2008)

This plant was collected from Kamo'oali'i stream in Kaneohe, HI. It was growing emersed along the edge of the stream. Any help to ID it would be much appreciated.


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## catwat (Oct 5, 2009)

Looks like a form of Alternanthera reineckii.


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

I believe catwat is correct. I don't think _Alternanthera_ is native to Hawaii.


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

Looks like that what I know as Alternanthera sessilis. According to some sites A. sessilis is an invasive alien species in Hawaii. The plants in the pics here are green though: http://www.hear.org/pier/imagepages/thumbnails/alternanthera_sessilis.htm


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

miremonster said:


> Looks like that what I know as Alternanthera sessilis. According to some sites A. sessilis is an invasive alien species in Hawaii. The plants in the pics here are green though: http://www.hear.org/pier/imagepages/thumbnails/alternanthera_sessilis.htm


I concur.


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## S-KGray (Nov 29, 2008)

Thanks all!


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

It is odd that A. sessilis are shown as totally green with no trace of red. In my experience with the species, it was very dark red, much redder than the plant that S&KGray shows. My plant was unable to produce normal leaves underwater, just little scale-like structures, but as soon as the slow-growing stem broke the surface it produced normal aerial leaves. The leaves were purple-red, and the stem was so dark as to seem nearly black.


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

HeyPK said:


> It is odd that A. sessilis are shown as totally green with no trace of red.


I wonder as well. But also other sources dealing with wild growing A. sessilis show mostly green plants, e.g. here: http://ecoport.org/ep?Plant=382&entityType=PL****&entityDisplayCategory=Photographs
It seems that the dark red one is only a particular form (cultivar?) of the species, here it's called A. sessilis 'Red': http://florafaunaweb.nparks.gov.sg/Special-Pages/plant-detail.aspx?id=3433
A. sessilis as Sri Lankan vegetable: http://foodcontessa.blogspot.com/


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

We would much appreciate it if you can find out if your plant can grow under water, S&KGray.


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## S-KGray (Nov 29, 2008)

Okay, right now I have some floating in a 55g plastic drum, 20g (both outdoors), and a 10g (indoors with T8 fluorescent). I will plant a stem or two so that it is completely submerged and report back.


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## S-KGray (Nov 29, 2008)

The stems all melted away except for one in the 55g drum. I planted it in my new setup started on 26 November. Will post link to journal here once I start it.


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## S-KGray (Nov 29, 2008)

Need to get pics but looks like it has 2 new leaves. There were only 2 leaves left when I planted it, and now there are 4.


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## S-KGray (Nov 29, 2008)

Pic up


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## S-KGray (Nov 29, 2008)

Looks like it started to grow submersed but stalled and algae started to cover it, not much algae elsewhere in the tank.

Pairs of leaves sprouted from other nodes, but stopped growing also.

This was in a tank with pressurized CO2, Aquasoil Amazonia I, modified EI dosing, Current Nova Extreme X2 T5HO lighting.


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