HeyPK

that is a Vallisneria flower, and it is about as open as it gets. The part behind the flower is the ovary, and it is filled with ovules waiting to be fertilized. I have had extensive experience with Vallisneria that includes getting the female flowers fertilized by the floating male flowers and later collecting the seeds and growing them in sterile culture.

miremonster

I'm not sure. IMHO it could also be a typical Blyxa flower still enclosed in the spathe. We'll see

HeyPK

This picture shows several unopened flowers of Blyxa japonica flowers that have not reached the surface, yet.

Seattle_Aquarist

Hi TooManyHobbies,

Very interesting; if that is a Blyxa I think this will be the first time I have seen that species.

2ManyHobbies

The small flower bud is growing towards the end of the pod and should emerge soon.

Now, I just need to make sure my 3 year old does not play in the tank from behind on the stairs and break it off!

HeyPK

The flower is as open as it is going to get. The white parts are the three stigmas, the female parts that receive the pollen. This flower has rudimentary petals and green sepals. This is a very nice closeup of the Vallisneria flower by asukawashere.


What you are calling the pod is the three fused ovaries of the flower. If fertilized, this part will enlarge and become a fruit with a large number of seeds inside.

The Blyxa flower, in contrast has three prominent petals and a rather small ovary. The stem of the flower is not spiraled. The flower pokes straight up out of the water. It has both sexes: carpels (female) and stamens (male). Vallisneria has male plants that produce male flowers and female plants that produce female flowers.

miremonster

This is what I believe to see in 2ManyHobbie's pic:

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asukawashere

I love how you labeled that glare spot, miremonster...

On another note, I artificially sharpened the image in hopes that it might help someone spot a detail that will point definitively to an ID:

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miremonster

Glare spot - OK thx, I didn't know the usual English word for that.
If really Blyxa, the flower would grow out of the spathe and then look like in Paul's Blyxa flower pic on p. 1. For Blyxa ID => pressed specimen of the plant with flowers as well as fruits with seeds.

asukawashere

Calling it a light reflection is perfectly fine in English - I was more amused by the fact that you labeled it at all... 'cause all the other labels are about the anatomy of the plant... oh, never mind, I have a weird sense of humor. XD