Grassy sword plant
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Illustration of the grassy sword plant ( Helanthium tenellum ). |
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| Helanthium tenellum | ||||||||||||
| ( Mart. Ex Schult. F.) JG Sm. |
The grass-like sword plant ( Helanthium tenellum ( Mart. Ex Schult. F.) JG Sm. , Syn .: Echinodorus tenellus ( Mart. Ex Schult. F.) Buchenau ), also known as the tender sword plant , is a species of the frog-spoon family ( Alismataceae). It is one of the most common aquatic plants used in aquaristics .
description
Vegetative characteristics
It is a runners-forming , grass-like, herbaceous plant . In contrast to other species in the Alismataceae family, rhizomes are absent. The narrow lanceolate leaves are 4 to 6 centimeters long and 3 millimeters wide and are usually light to dark green. A variety is also known in which the leaves are brown in color. A translucent drawing , as it occurs in many other sword plant species, is missing here.
Generative characteristics
Plants that only grow above the surface of the water develop inflorescences . The inflorescences usually extend far beyond the leaves. The inflorescence is upright and unbranched and has one or two flowers whorls . Each of the whorls contains between four and sixteen flowers . The hermaphroditic flowers are 6 to 10 millimeters in diameter and have radial symmetry and threefold. The three sepals are only 2.5 millimeters long and 2 millimeters wide. The three petals are slightly larger.
The nuts are obovate with a length of 1 and 1.5 millimeters.
Chromosome number
The number of chromosomes is 2n = 22, rarely 33.
Occurrence
The grassy sword plant is widespread in New World . The distribution area ranges from North to Central and South America. It occurs from the central and eastern United States to Argentina and Chile. The grassy sword plant prefers to colonize the banks of large rivers. It prefers the bank regions that fall dry at low tide but still have moist soil . During the flood season the plant then thrives submerged .
Use in the aquarium hobby
The grass-like sword plant is one of the species that are almost always available for planting in aquariums . It is usually planted in the foreground, where it quickly forms a dense, low lawn under favorable conditions.
In order for the plant to thrive, gravel as fine-grained as possible makes sense. In coarse gravel, the delicate cuttings can only take root very poorly. The plant has a high need for nutrients. It is therefore recommended that a long-term fertilizer is in the substrate. The plant tolerates soft to medium-hard water and thrives at temperatures between 22 and 29 degrees Celsius. It needs very intense lighting. Carbon dioxide should be offered regularly in small doses.
literature
- Bernd Greger: Plants in the freshwater aquarium. Birgit Schmettkamp Verlag, Bornheim 1998, ISBN 3-928819-16-X
- Christel Kasselmann: aquarium plants. Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart, 2nd edition. 1999, ISBN 3-8001-7454-5 , pp. 271 f.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Echinodorus tenellus at Tropicos.org. In: IPCN Chromosome Reports . Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis
- ↑ Rafaël Govaerts (Ed.): Helanthium - World Checklist of Selected Plant Families of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Last accessed on June 18, 2018.
