Help identify this plant?

[cheeboonyong]

Hi,

I'm new to this forum. I normally go to AQ. Really like this forum's stance on real names and "normal" English (no SMS/Singlish).

Anyway, I digress...This plant belongs to a colleague of mine who brought it back from Taiwan. We have no idea what it is. By the way, this is a single plant, not mulitple shoots.

Any help would be most welcome

[timebomb]

I'm new to this forum. I normally go to AQ. Really like this forum's stance on real names and "normal" English (no SMS/Singlish).

Welcome to killies.com forum, Boon Yong. I'm glad you like our rules. Somehow or other, I know you will find your way here one day. You are, as far as I know, one of the very few people around to use his own name as the nickname as well. It speaks volumes for your attitude, the fact that you see no necessity to hide behind a nickname. Over here, we think anonymity sucks too but we do make exceptions for people who have good reasons. Casesensitive aka plvp was a victim of stalking once so he's reluctant to reveal his true identity. I know who he is and his real name is so unusual he's probably the only person in the world with such a name. In his case, I can understand why he has to remain anonymous.

About your friend's plant, it so happens I have it in my tanks too. I'm not sure of its species name but I'm quite sure it belongs to the genus Eriocaulon. It's quite easy to grow but Black Brush Algae tend to develop on the tips of its leaves.

Loh K L

[eric_kclee]

Boon Yong,
I come across a similar picture in Taiwanese book.
Does all those fine leaves come from a single stem or stalk?...and the tip of the leaf seems to have a small bulge/bud??

If it is so, IT could be this plant (as stated in the book) Eleocharis Minima.

[cheeboonyong]

Does all those fine leaves come from a single stem or stalk?...and the tip of the leaf seems to have a small bulge/bud??

It's very difficult to explain. It doesn't have a central stem. If I'm not wrong, it looks like the whole bunch there is a SINGLE plant. It just has a whole cluster of roots and the stalks just grow from there.

Yes it does have small bulge/buds on the tips. It almost looks like they're emersed flowers. But since my friend brought it back for close to 2-3 weeks, it hasn't changed significantly. So I suspect it was already submersed form when he got it. Maybe it doesn't even have a emersed form, who know?

[timebomb]

Boon Yong,

There's an emmersed form and in nature, it grows more often emmersed than submersed.

Take a look at:

http://aquat1.ifas.ufl.edu/erioca.html

Loh K L