Rotala Verticillaris

It's Pogostemon erectum. It matches a good botanical description and herbarium specimens I've found. I've seen preserved Rotala verticillaris and it's easy to see why they were confused. The inflorescences aren't at all the same though.

Please see here:
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plant-id/58042-rotala-verticillaris-nope.html

Excellent. Thank you Cavan..

Do you have any pics of the real Verticillaris?

None of living material. I may be able to show herbarium specimen photos.

Do it.

I guess you couldnt find them?

I took some really lousy photos with my phone, but it might be better to see if the ones a friend of mine took earlier are better.

Where are they and does it look quite a bit like Pogo Erectum?

I saw the herbarium specimens in person as well and it's a dead ringer for Pogostemon erectum. Whichever species it is the flower is most definitely indicative of a Pogostemon.

Yeah, I keyed it out based on a good botanical description and everything matches. Both that and the Rotala are from the same general area, so it's easy to see how that might have contributed to the confusion.

They have the same size limitations and requirements then?

Well, maybe, but I don't think we know for sure because I don't know of anybody who has grown real R. verticillaris!

Gotcha.

This is a really lousy (as usual) photo of a REAL Rotala verticillaris botanical specimen using my camera phone. A friend of mine may have a much better one. The flowers are actually there, but they're very tiny and sessile (right up against the stem). Not all like P. erectum. The specimens are emersed.

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/aquarium-pictures/showimage.php?i=5867&catid=newimages

Note: For some reason, the picture title isn't the way I typed it. I did not capitalize any V.