HeyPK

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

DonaldmBoyer

Strange (for me, at least): a pruning of several of the leaves this past Monday seems to have triggered increased growth as a response. It has gained a few inches of additional height since the pruning. Would this be coincidence, by chance?

HeyPK

I have not heard before that pruning an aquatic plant makes it grow bigger.

DonaldmBoyer

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.

DonaldmBoyer

I was able to get this to flower for me.....It's been a lovely plant for me in my tank, PK!

chrislewistx

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.

DonaldmBoyer

I think that PK had the correct ID from the get go!! The leaves are about 20 inches long, or more, as they are now growing above the water; however, emergent leaves tend to dry out above the water.