That never was and never will be baby tears. It's a Mayaca! Possibilities are Mayaca sellowiana, Mayaca fluviatilis, Rotala spec. "Nanjenshan."
I bought a bunch of these at my LFS, and they were labelled "Mayaca." I was thinking "stupid pet shop people, don't know what they're talking about" but bought it anyway because they were cheap and looked good. They had little round leaves, a medium-green colour. The new growth came in as lighter green, needle-y leaves.
I never really figured out exactly what species they were, but the three above are possibilities. I've never seen a description of the emersed growth of any of these. The Tropica website (
www.tropica.com) shows Rotala spec. "Nanjenshan" with both round and needle leaves, and also says that it used to be called Mayaca. We get a lot of Tropica plants here in Canada, so it's a possibility.
It's pretty plant, grows fast with good light, even without a lot of fertilization. The tips get reddish in strong light. Mine got red when they reached the top of the tank. They need frequent pruning. Trim from the bottom and replant the tops because they're too pretty to be snipped off.
I actually just threw my bunch away yesterday. They haven't been doing well for a few months. The algae was choking them, but is barely visible on my other plants. They were pretty when they were doing well though.
Good luck with yours
