[2ManyHobbies]

I picked this up a few weeks ago labeled as Blyxa sp. Spiral. The flowers are very similar to the flowers I have on my B. japonica and aubertii. I will try to get a picture of the flower, one is coming soon. Any ideas what species it might be?

You can see the. B japonica for comparison. It is quite tall with quite extensive root system.

 

[Seattle_Aquarist]

Hi TooManyHobbies,

Doesn't look like a Blyxa to me. It looks more like a Vallisneria, possibly Vallisneria spiralis.

 

[HeyPK]

Definitely Vallisneria. In fact, the picture might be useful for the PlantFinder entries we are trying to produce for Vallisneria species. Let Cavan Allen take a look at it.

 

[miremonster]

But:

The flowers are very similar to the flowers I have on my B. japonica and aubertii. I will try to get a picture of the flower, one is coming soon.

 

[HeyPK]

Blyxa flower:

Vallisneria flower (female):

 

[doubleott05]

dude thats a jungle val

 

[miremonster]

@2ManyHobbies: Does it make runners?

 

[2ManyHobbies]

@2ManyHobbies: Does it make runners?

Nope- It has been in the tank for over a month and no runners yet. My other vals send out runners within days of planting.

I really need to find that flower stalk tonight. I saw it what I moved them last night. Might be another day or so before it blooms.

I have never had a val bloom for me. Blyxa species all the time.

My japonica propogates like rabbits so I am expecting to see this one split soon. Then again my aubertii took about 2-3 months to split. These leaves are also very smooth, much softer than the spiralis I have had in the past. I will look at the leaf edges tonight to see if they are serrated.

 

[James0816]

I have two of the same and labeled as such too.

Propigates via a shoot that forms from the middle of the plant best I can tell. Definately haven't seen any type of runners. Haven't noticed if they've sent up any flower stalks or not though. I'll have to get a better look.

 

[2ManyHobbies]

Flower on its way...looks to me more like a blyxa flower.

Looks like it is in some sort of pod that needs to open up to release the flower before blooming.

 

[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]

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.

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:

 

[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:

 

[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]

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.

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