Plant ID

[elgecko]

Please help to ID this plant.
I thought it might have been a type of lotus, but it does not have a bulb. I'm afraid it might not be a true aquatic plant.
Any thoughts?

[superjohnny]

I believe that's a type of anubias, but I can't remember the name off the top of my head. I'll look it up in Aquarium Plants when I get home tonight. Would you take a picture of the the base? Does it have a rhizome?

[elgecko]

superjohnny,

No it does not have a rhizome. It was a potted plant. When I removed it from the rock wool, and seeing it was not a bulb or rhizome, I started thinking it's not a true aquatic. I can not ID it in any of my books. I hate how some stores sell terrium plants as aquatic.

[superjohnny]

http://www.johnnyanddana.com/images/Tank/Other%20people's%20stuff/plant.jpg

In the picture it looks like it has a rhizome. It looks like an anubias gilletii to me. The anubias gracilis is similar, but with darker, shinier leaves. This is not from experience, but from simple observation of the pictures in Aquarium Plants.


from Aquarium Plants page 106
Anubias gilletii can easily be confused with frail specimens of A. hastifolia and A. pynaertii. Inflorescences are essential for a definite species identification.


That's the best I can do, hope that helps. Whatever it is I'd like to have one myself ;) LMK if you ever want to get rid of it.

[GhoriG]

Looks like Anubias gigantea

[elgecko]

Here's a shot of the roots.

[superjohnny]

Yup, that's rhizome. I'd bet money it's a gracilis. Definitely not a gigantea, they are much taller with larger, rounder leaves. Typically they're kind of cone shaped where the leaves meets with the stems.

I'm kind of a nut for anubias species. I'd like to have one of each of them in my tank, but right now I only have barteri, nana, coffefolia & frazeri. I've passed on the petite nana & gigantea, but never seen most of the others for sale. Where are you located? Where did you get this plant?

[GhoriG]

Yep you're right - I was wrong. It does look like gracilis.

[elgecko]

Thanks for the help.

Is this a true aquatic?
It does not need to grow it's leaves out of the water does it?

As for the rhizome, I guess because it's not that developed, I did not really think it was one, just the base of the plant. But looking at the one on the left I can see it now.

I live in South East PA. I purchased it at Petco I believe.

Pictures of my tank:

http://www.geocities.com/elgecko1989/community.html

[superjohnny]

It's a marsh plant. It grows on the banks of rivers in Africa (Cameroon, Nigeria, Gabon, Congo, Ziare). It's a low light plant, but does better in medium light. The rhizome will get ~1cm thick, the leaves are leathery. It is found in nature fully submerged sometimes, but those plants don't develop as large of leaves.

This is all from Aquarium Plants page 106. Not quoting directly.

Hope that helps :)