Echinodorus horemanii
Contents:
- Sizes of E. horemanii
by nfrank-at-parsifal.nando.net (Neil Frank) (Sun, 18 Jun 95)
- E. horemanii
by George Booth <booth-at-hpmtlgb1.lvld.hp.com> (Mon, 19 Jun 1995)
- Cured E. horemanii of clear spots
by Keith Rogers <krogers-at-canopus.sim.es.com> (Wed, 11 Oct 1995)
- Reproducing Echinodorus horemani
by George Booth <booth-at-hpmtlgb1.lvld.hp.com> (Fri, 15 Mar 1996)
- Reproducing E. horemani
by krombhol-at-felix.TECLink.Net (Paul Krombholz) (Fri, 15 Mar 1996)
- Reproducing Echinodorus horemani
by Bruce Hansen <bhansen-at-oznet02.ozemail.com.au> (Sat, 16 Mar 1996)
- re: E. horemanii
by nfrank-at-nando.net (Neil Frank) (Sun, 17 Mar 96)
by nfrank-at-parsifal.nando.net (Neil Frank)
Date: Sun, 18 Jun 95
> Subject: E. horemanii
>
> George,
>
> Since you mentioned your horemanii, How tall is the tank that you have it in,
>and how tall is the plant? I have a less than 1 year old 'Rubin' Sword (which
>is a horemanii x barthii cross) that is big enough that the leaves lay all
>over the surface of the tank. I'm planning to move it to my 75G, but this
>tank isn't _that_ much taller either. How big a tank do you actually need to
>show off one of these suckers properly? Is the 120 big enough?
>
> E-mail from: Karen Randall, 17-Jun-1995
Karen,
E. horemanii, red and green varieties, are beautiful plants. They are among
my favorites and are the only large Echinodorus that I currently have. Their
potential size, however, can be a problem. I have mine in three tanks. In my
experience, the green variety, does not grow as large and is easier to
manage. Light intensity may be an important factor.
I have one green horemanii in a 55g (~200l), 20 inch (50cm) tall tank - but
the more important measurement is the 14.5" (36cm) height of the water
column. After all, once does have to account for the substrate and tank
frame! In this tank, the plant occupies the rightmost 40%; the leaves nicely
reach the water's surface and do not bend over enough to dry out...this tank
has 120w of fluorescent lighting and no CO2. It has been growing there for
22 months.
I also have the green variety in my 70g whose water column is ~ 10% taller.
The tank gets similar lighting (with 4 bulbs), but also gets CO2. There the
plants are in pots, and the green horemanii are much smaller, but this may
be attributed to lower nutrient levels provided in that tank. This 70g also
has a red horemanii which is HUGE. The plant has been growing there for
several years, and is actually a family of horemanii. The rhizome is
probably 12 inches long. It has completely grown out of its 6" pot (placed
at the rear of the tank) has extend downward to the base of the tank (which
has 1 cm of sand just to cover the glass bottom), so the original plant is
now growing mashed up against the front glass and APPEARS to be growing
directly out of the 1 cm substrate. From the trailing rhizome still in the
pot, several new horemanii have sprouted. These immature plants also reach
the water surface. [Note: rhizome division is a good way to reproduce this
plant.] The leaves of the "mother" red horemanii are now over 2 feet (60cm)
in length. And as Karen indicated, many lie on the surface of the water and
dry out. Not the ideal situation.
I believe this is a situation that can be controlled by reducing the light
intensity. The tank has 4 fluorescent bulbs (2 tritons, 1 grolux, 1 grolux
WS). However, I am lazy to replace my bulbs ( I leave them in place for 1-3
years, until they burn out!). Around 6-8 months ago, before I changed 2 old
bulbs, I seem to recall that the leaves of the red horemanii just barely
reached the surface and did not bend over and dry out. And the plant looked
MUCH better. IMHO, once this plant (and plant tanks in general) mature to
the point where the leaves reach the surface, I suggest reducing the light
to control growth (e.g. reducing intensity,for at least parts of the
photoperiod). Depending on the desired effect, this can wait for the leaves
to reach the surface.
I am sure many of you have noticed how plant growth seems to improve, if not
accelerate when the leaves of many plants start to approach and then lie
along the surface. I think that the average distance of the light to the
leaves is more important than the distance to the substrate.(Actually this
is a weighted average, with a lot more benefit from the leaves closer to the
surface). I also have a red horemanii in my 120g tank which is 2 inches (5
cm) taller than the 70g. It has only been growing there 6 months, but I
expect it could develop the same problems. Getting plants to grow slower or
smaller is one of the challenges to the experienced aquatic gardener. :-)
- --Neil
by George Booth <booth-at-hpmtlgb1.lvld.hp.com>
Date: Mon, 19 Jun 1995
> Karen Randall -
>
> Since you mentioned your horemanii, How tall is the tank that you
> have it in, and how tall is the plant? I have a less than 1 year old
> 'Rubin' Sword (which is a horemanii x barthii cross) that is big
> enough that the leaves lay all over the surface of the tank. I'm
> planning to move it to my 75G, but this tank isn't _that_ much taller
> either.
The E. horemanii is in the 120g tank, which is 48"x24"x24" and has 4"
of gravel. Most of the leaves are at least 30" long. It has 3-4
dozen leaves and we remove 10-12 every month!. It seems that no
matter which tank it is in, it has 6" of leaf trailing on the surface.
In its current form, it looks like it would fit in a cube 30" on a
side.
> How big a tank do you actually need to show off one of these
> suckers properly?
A swimming pool?
> Is the 120 big enough?
No, not really.
George
by Keith Rogers <krogers-at-canopus.sim.es.com>
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 1995
A few months back I mailed a requqest for help on curing a problem
with my E. horemanii plants. The pups came off some big rhizomes
George Booth sent me in July '94 and the plants are of the red
variety. Initially the plants grew well, but after half a year or so
they started looking "chlorotic" with dark red veins and transleuscent
patches in between. General malaise and slow decline ensued. Here's
a followup mailing so others may learn from my mistake.
I'll skip the saga and get right to the punch line. I use the Dupla
tablets and drops (but not the 'gan) according to their rate schedule.
I elevated the drop dosage for a while but it didn't help (only gave
me thread algae). For reasons that are no longer clear to me, I never
elevated the tablet dose as a test. I thought I had the "50 liter"
tablets and was dosing accordingly. Turns out, I had the 20 liter
tablets. Thus, I was adding at 40% of recommended dose for over a
year (the life time of this new tank and pups.)
The problem was discovered when I gave a pup to Brad Lauchnor, a local
plant guy who (mostly) lurks this list. After defeating some BG algae
from hell in his tank, the horemanii took off: great growth, no leaf
spots. He was the one who, when I showed him my tablets, recognized
them as the 20l kind. Subsequently, I and another list lurker (hi
Ross) have duplicated the horemanii recovery upon addition of proper
dose levels of the Dupla tablets. Also, I gave about half a dozen
pups back to the Booths last March and the plants perked right up when
put in their properly dosed tanks.
So, I think the final analysis was potassium defficiency. That's what
the tablets contain most of, according to the atomic analysis posted
in the Krib, and it can yield a chlorosis like appearance in plants.
Interestingly, the only other plants which showed any affect from the
inadequate potassium were some C. wendtii, which went more green
instead of brown/olive. The growth was also somewhat less robust (in
sofar as crypt growth can ever be labeled that). All other plants
were unaffected.
Make sure you're supplying enough usable K in your tanks.
Keith Rogers
krogers-at-es.com
by George Booth <booth-at-hpmtlgb1.lvld.hp.com>
Date: Fri, 15 Mar 1996
> From: ac554-at-freenet.carleton.ca (David Whittaker)
>
> Has anyone attempted to produce plantlets from E. horemani? The plant
> is several years old and has never produced plantlets or a flower
> stalk.
We've had to move and/or remove our Mother of All Horemanii's (MOAH)
three or four times. If you cut a piece off the rhizome, you will
notice lots of bumps. These bumps turn into plantlets if the rhizome
piece is placed on top of the gravel. Once the plantlets have decent
roots, cut them off the rhizome and watch 'em grow.
The last time we trimmed the rhizome, the piece still in the gravel
must have panicked, because now there are three or four good size
plants growing from this same 8" long rhizome.
George
by krombhol-at-felix.TECLink.Net (Paul Krombholz)
Date: Fri, 15 Mar 1996
>From: ac554-at-freenet.carleton.ca (David Whittaker)
>Date: Fri, 15 Mar 1996 06:57:55 -0500
>Subject: Reproducing Echinodorus horemani
>
>Has anyone attempted to produce plantlets from E. horemani? The plant
>is several years old and has never produced plantlets or a flower
>stalk. I've checked several books and believe it to be E. horemani.
>Should I allow the whole plant to float or should I cut the rhysome
>and let it float in the hope that plantlets will sprout.
>
I have had a plant of E. horemani in an undisturbed 55 gallon tank for 10
years. About 5 years ago a new plant showed up on the rhizome of the old
one, and it has headed off in its own direction. The two plants are now
about a foot apart. I havn't changed any of the water for the last 5 or 6
years. The plants look all right, but the fish are beginning to look a
little wrinkled up, like prunes. (I really ought to give them a partial
water change this spring break!) I have given the tank 16 hour days, but
have never seen an inflorescence. My favorite book, The Complete Guide to
Water Plants, by Helmut Muhlberg says regarding this species, "In long-day
conditions the inflorescences grow up to the water level. If the lighting
periods are only moderate flower stems curve and grow near the bottom.
Propagation from separated adventitious plantlets."
This makes it sound like a long day plant, and perhaps mine is not getting
enough light. I have 2 ordinary 40 watt T-12 fluorescents, and I plan to
upgrade to 4 T-8 bulbs during the next few weeks.
I got my plant from a friend in San Diego, who had it growing partially
emersed in tubs in his back yard. The plants he had were all sending out
inflorescences that had small plantlets growing from every node. Perhaps
growing it partially emersed will encourage it to send up a flower stalk,
or perhaps it was just the bright light.
I have heard that cutting up the living part of the rhizome into about 1
inch long sections and floating them will result in some plantlets forming.
Good luck!
Paul Krombholz Tougaloo College, Tougaloo, MS 39174
by Bruce Hansen <bhansen-at-oznet02.ozemail.com.au>
Date: Sat, 16 Mar 1996
<Has anyone attempted to produce plantlets from E. horemani? The plant
is several years old and has never produced plantlets or a flower
stalk. I've checked several books and believe it to be E. horemani.
Should I allow the whole plant to float or should I cut the rhysome
and let it float in the hope that plantlets will sprout>.
I have both green and red forms of this beautiful Echinodorus and grow =
them outside all year round. Mine seems to need the stimulus of winter =
to initiate the production of flower spikes here in Brisbane, Australia. =
My green form also produces floating leaves in summer but the red form =
never has. By the way besides plantlets from the flower spike mine have =
also divided at the crown ( both red and green). As yet no plantlets =
have formed on the rhizome.
In contrast both E. opacus and E. uruguayense have produced on the =
rhizome but no other way. I understand from a friend in Melbourne ( much =
colder in winter) that winters there will stimulate flowering in E. =
opacus. Perhaps this phenomenon of induction of flowering by reduced =
temperature could be anticipated by a study of the geographic origin of =
the particular species ? It certainly would be interesting to me to hear =
from others with experience of this aspect of Echinodorus behaviour.
Bruce Hansen.=20
by nfrank-at-nando.net (Neil Frank)
Date: Sun, 17 Mar 96
To HAK from Brisbane,
Thanks for the interesting information about E. hormanii!
<hak-at-ozemail.com.au> says:
>I grow three variations of this sp;the green form,red form(var PISCES),red
form(var Victoria)
I had not previously heard about two red forms of hormanii. Can you share
the source (aquarium magazine article? plant catalog?). Were the horemanii
varieties named in Australia?
>Red form(var PISCES)
> Leaf shape is unlike E. H (green),closer to E. Uruaguansis i.e long
> straplike(600mm)
According to the latest information - the 1994 Haynes/Holm-Nielsen monograph
on THE ALISTMATACAE, E. horemanii is now listed as a synonym to
uruguayensis. This treatice tends to do more lumping than splitting, to
recognize the geographic variability in species and the lack of good
documentation on all collected specimens. Other synonyms for this species
are martii, osiris and barthii which are all very different looking plants.
Although this approach may be scientifically valid, I do not think it helps
aquarists talk about their plants which have different appearance and
possibly different growing characteristics. I also note that Rataj's
earlier classification differentiated horemanii as having a wider leaf, but
he had a category "11b" of narrow 30mm wide red leaves which he called E.
uruguayensis!
>Optimum growth at 20-25C (our southern winter;8hrs of light)
>I. Cold water species (15 to 25c)
This makes sense, since it comes from southern Brazil (near 25th - 30th
parallel +/-). Interestingly, this is very similar to Brisbane!! In the TFH
book, AQUARIUM PLANTS, Rataj and Horeman (after whom it is named) say that
in nature, it often grows in cool water. I believe it also flowers during
the winter in Florida, USA, which is at similar latitude.
> This is the KEY TO REPRODUCTION
You also point out that it does best during the short winter day. Since the
plant comes from subtropical (or temperate) area, it gets a seasonal change
in day length. Apparently, it also needs a SHORT day to flower. Next year I
adjust my artificial lighting to give mine a Brisbane 8-hour winter!
> Red form(var Victoria)
Leaf shape is closer to E.H(green);muddy red/brown
Only plantlets from flower spikes so far
>From the description, I must have something similar to what you call var
Victoria. If it is a similar plant, then I assume that your plant to too
young to have a substantial rhizome??
>IV. The red forms are unsuitable for planted show tanks as they DOMINATE
I agree, but they are BEAUTIFUL and I still enjoy them in my crowded
"unshow" tank!
Neil Frank Aquatic Gardeners Association, Raleigh NC
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