Submerse plant, emerse growth?

[Blinky]

Just wondering if I'm seeing things. I've got some Myriophyllum that's showing what looks like emerse growth. I took top cuttings about a week ago, and all but one are continuing to grow in the usual 'bushy' way. One top cutting has changed its growth to what looks like emerse growth. The plants were nearing the surface when I took the cuttings, is it possible the plant was getting ready to grow up out of the water, and can't change back even though it's 15" from the surface now? Has anyone had this happen before?

[SnakeIce]

I have heard of plants changing like that. it may have more to do with the light intensity change break point that signals the surface is near than actually being out of the water. besides naturally occuring bodies of water where this plant may grow fluctuate in water level so making the change to emersed leaves while still just under the surface is understandable given the possibility that those leaves may be out of the water at some point.

I don't know if it would change back to submersed growth or not. depends on how strong that particular plants affinity to emersed growth is. seems I remember seeing somewhere reading that if x plant does start growing in such a way to cut that off and throw it out as it is compairable to cutting off the foliage only shoot on a rose that is trying to go wild, at least for our goal of submersed growth.

If you are interested you can continue to cut it back and let it grow and see what it does. but it ultimately is a judgment call on how it looks. submersed forms of stem plants often have larger or more leaves than the emersed forms and thus look fuller and to some nicer.

[Blinky]

Thanks for the info :)
I decided to leave it (it's only one stem of a bunch) and see what happens, so far it's continued growing with emerse-type leaves. It looks a little funny beside the others, sort of like a Charlie Brown Christmas tree :D