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Monster Sagittaria!

19K views 37 replies 12 participants last post by  ddavila06 
#1 ·
This is a 29 high gallon tank with some plants collected in the Jackson, Mississippi area. In front are a couple of Ludwigia palustris plants, to the right are some E. cordifolius, one of them producing floating leaves. The really big plants behind the Ludwigia are a local Sagittaria, possibly S. platyphylla. I collected them 24 days ago and they are just getting bigger and bigger. So far, they have only produced submersed leaves, but they may start producing emersed leaves with petioles and oval blades which I have seen on some plants in the field. So far, there have been no runners produced.



This is a picture of the Sag. where I collected it.
 
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#29 · (Edited)
Basically it is about the size of an Amazon sword, but it has strap-like leaves. All of my plants eventually did start producing leaves with petioles and spoon-shaped blades.

2ManyHobbies got this whole thing started when he produced pictures of a wide-leaved Sagittaria he got from a Minnesota lake. http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plant-id/82063-what.html At first glance, I thought he had S. platyphylla, but that species is not found in Minnesota. Now, I am thinking he has S. cristata, which, when grown in an aquarium does not get nearly as big as S. platyphylla, with submersed leaves maxing out at around 6 inches.
 
#30 ·
Hello Paul,

there is or was a "S. platyphylla" in the trade that is quite low with rather spreading leaves. It might be the same as DonaldMBoyer's plant. Once I grew it emersed and flowered it but missed to compare it with the Sagittaria descriptions in Flora of North America, or to make specimens. I've lost this plant. Someone told me that he can't find anymore this Sagittaria type in the trade or by other hobbyists. Instead of that a Sag is sold as "platyphylla" that grows higher (I think, a broad-leaved form from the S. subulata group, not the same as Your monster platyphylla).

Apart from that, there's the already mentioned "Sagittaria platyphylla" in the Botanical Garden Göttingen that I've IDed as S. cristata, but its submerged leaves are broader than those of the "old" low "S. platyphylla".
 
#31 · (Edited)
I will have a better chance of identifying my plant later this summer when the plants in the ditch where I got my aquarium specimens bloom. I should be able to confirm if it is really platyphylla. S. cristata is clustered mostly in Wisconsin and N. Miinnesota, whereas S. platyphylla is clustered primarily in Louisiana, E. Texas, SE. Oklahoma and S. Arkansas. It is more sporadic in Mississippi, Alabama, and the rest of the southeast United States. Right now, I am thinking I have platyphylla and 2ManyHobbies has cristata primarily because of location. 2ManyHobbies lives in Minnesota, and I am in Mississippi. I have seen what I am pretty sure is also S. platyphylla growing in 7 or 8 feet of water in the San Marcos River close to where the river emerges from the ground in the city of San Marcos, Texas.

Collected in the San Marcos River, March, 2004
 
#34 ·
Yeah....didn't think so either. Must be getting "happier" with the tank conditions. ;) Apparently, some of the plants I have in there seem to take some time to adapt to my tank conditions....I had a very small stem of L. Cuba in there for months that didn't do anything, and I had even forgotten that it was there. Thought it was a goner....one of the treats that the cichlids ate, or something. All of the sudden it went bezerk with growth. Thing has five large side shoots at least 8 inches long off of the main stem now.

Peculiar.
 
#36 ·
Donald, are you able to confirm the identity now that the plant has bloomed? Also, how large did it end up growing in your tank?

HeyPK, did the wild population you mentioned flower yet?

I think its a neat looking plant. It seems like I remember reading here on APC that one of the DFWAPC members brought back a similar plant from their outing to the San Marcos.
 
#38 ·
hey guys! so its been a while on this plant and mine laid dormant in less that poor conditions for a while (shaded, in graven w no light, no co2, no nothin lol) finally i added a new light about a week ago and root tabs about a month ago and it seems to really like that! so everyone agrees that it is platyphyla? im not good with id stuff...
here is two photos of mine looking nice =) thanks again for this great plant!
 

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