[defdac]

Is it common for E. stellata to develop this form? Never seen it. Only one stem looks like this:
http://www.zoonen.com/visabild.asp?oid=2284539
http://www.zoonen.com/visabild.asp?oid=2284536
http://www.zoonen.com/visabild.asp?oid=2284538

 

[Zapins]

that doesn't look like normal stellata growth to me.

They might have grown the plant by rotating it back and forth so the stem grows towards the light making a bend and then rotating the stem so it grows the opposite direction.

 

[defdac]

Yes, that might explain the bending of the stem - but look how the leaves attach to the stem.

 

[Zapins]

Yea I was looking at that. Looks very weird, almost like a new variety, but I'm not sure. It could just be a result from growing it at different angles.

 

[THHNguyen]

That is amazing! Is that your plant?

 

[HeyPK]

Has it been growing and producing the spiral stem for you, or did you get it that way?

 

[Coralite]

I doubt someone would take the time to rotate the plant at equal intervals to develop this effect. I suspect one aspect of the water quality is out of wack or that this plant is exhibiting some weird gene expression. That plant is a prime candidate for tissue culture!

 

[defdac]

Here is one more closeup:
http://www.zoonen.com/visabild.asp?oid=2284664

Tissue culture, hmm.. perhaps send a sample to Tropica then hehe..

 

[defdac]

Here is the analysis of the tap water in swedish, but shouldn't be a problem:
http://www.mittsverigevatten.se/upload/Analysprotokoll/kvalitet_wifsta.pdf

 

[defdac]

http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Plants/Eusteralis.html

A ctrl-f search on "twisted" reveals another sighting of this phenomenon in 2000.

 

[ShaneS]

That looks like genetic mutation to me

 

[Zapins]

Yeah, it isn't grown rotated. The last closeup shows the leaves wrapping around the stem in a spiral. That's not a growing technique.

I'm betting it is a new variation.

 

[Coralite]

Ah, so the node of leaves are part of the spiral! This is just a growth abberation which won't last. Should this specimen branch I doubt it will continue in this same pattern.

 

[HeyPK]

If it does continue to grow that way, you have got yourself a mutation!! Hold out for lots of money! All the commercial plant growers are on the lookout for mutations and they charge big bucks for them when they are first introduced. See if you can get up a bidding war between Oriental Aquarium and Florida Aquatic Nurseries! Also gimme 10% of the take 'cause I suggested it

 

[ShaneS]

At work we do radiation treatments that causes mutations, the spiral stem is a relatively common mutation. I doubt anyone has done this with aquatics yet, you have something very unique here

 

[rich815]

I got a stem off a plant club swap table of P. stellata (same as the E.) that was in sorry, sorry shape. No leaves to really speak of but a good, sturdy stem and decent roots. I planted it up and for about 2 weeks it sort of sulked. Then it began to take off. It firstly produced almost exactly this kind of twisting stem, leaves attaching the same spiral way, all of which I thought was kind of cool looking. It then started to grow normally and in the last month or so I've divided off various branches, sold some, re-grew a few and it's "back" to normal, no more twisting and the stem is now almost the circumference of my pinky finger! So at least in my case it was likely due to severe stress and grew this way until it recovered.

 

[ed seeley]

It also looks rather like a form of fasciation that occurs often on flower stems of terrestrial plants (my foxgloves, Digitalis purpurea, seem very prone towards producing them). As this can be caused by damage rather than a mutation I'm not sure that it would be stable when cultured.

 

[Coralite]

I am relatively certain that the abberation seen in this E. stellata is unstable so I wouldnt hold out for this plant being coveted by any nursery.