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hooha · 07-04-2009, 10:38 AM

I've had Marsilea minuta that was given to me from a very reuputable person, who had it growing 'supersmall' in a high-light tank. It certainly did grow much bigger leaves in lower light conditions. I have yet to try to 'reconvert' it to the smaller-growing version. Other people I have talked to have had similar growth from the 'super-small' Marsilea (presumably M. minuta).

I know that all the other species of Marsilea available in the hobby cannot grow 'super-smaill leaves' like minuta. On the other hand minuta can grow leaves with size similar to the other species.....as Cavan has told me in the past, the only way to know for sure is to grow emersed and look at the sporocarps to accurately identify a Marsilea species.

So to answer your question - if you've had the 'super-small' leaves on your original stock, it may be M. minuta, but no way to know for sure without sexual reproduction structures in emersed growth....

On another note, what I'm using in my tanks right now is definitely M. quadrifolia, as I grew out the submersed form from a pot from Florida Nurseries.....

07-04-2009, 10:38 AM	#8 (permalink)
hooha Moderator Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pittsburgh area Posts: 2,088 iTrader Ratings: 59 iTrader Positive Rating: 100% Plant Points: 71592	Re: Calling on all Marsilea folk... I've had Marsilea minuta that was given to me from a very reuputable person, who had it growing 'supersmall' in a high-light tank. It certainly did grow much bigger leaves in lower light conditions. I have yet to try to 'reconvert' it to the smaller-growing version. Other people I have talked to have had similar growth from the 'super-small' Marsilea (presumably M. minuta). I know that all the other species of Marsilea available in the hobby cannot grow 'super-smaill leaves' like minuta. On the other hand minuta can grow leaves with size similar to the other species.....as Cavan has told me in the past, the only way to know for sure is to grow emersed and look at the sporocarps to accurately identify a Marsilea species. So to answer your question - if you've had the 'super-small' leaves on your original stock, it may be M. minuta, but no way to know for sure without sexual reproduction structures in emersed growth.... On another note, what I'm using in my tanks right now is definitely M. quadrifolia, as I grew out the submersed form from a pot from Florida Nurseries.....