That leafy flaty foreground plant - the right one

[FC]

I found something interesting about Glossostigma.
Do you like to grow them densely "leafy flaty" without that grow upwards?

I wished very much. I had seen a tank that grew like that 3 years ago. The plant grew flat, not kidding down right flat and following the ground contour. The leafs are about 1.7 cm long and 1 cm wide and grew densely, overlapping each other, covering 1/3 the 5ft tank's floor area, without even one trying to "stand up" for the light. I could not even see the plants' runners, they were running under the substrate, all of them.

This afternoon, I happened to find the answer when I picked up a book in Borders. The plant I saw in that tank was not Glossostigma Elantinoides but Elatine Macropoda. And another interesting finding was those plants that commonly found here and we called them Glossostigma Elatinoides are actually Glossostigma Diandra (originated from Australia). As the book mentioned, Diandra often grow upwards, like what we often experience, unless suppressed by glaring high light.

The 3 differences between E.M. and G.D. are:
1) E.M. leafs are slightly bigger
2) can be differentiated most well from the flower (when above water)
3) E.M. roots are 4 cm long vs Diandra's 2 cm

I beleive it was the long roots that held the E.M. down well, including the runners.

[juggler]

Interesting. Which book?

[Simon]

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On 5/18/2003 10:25:54 PM

I found something interesting about Glossostigma.
Do you like to grow them densely "leafy flaty" without that grow upwards?

I wished very much. I had seen a tank that grew like that 3 years ago. The plant grew flat, not kidding down right flat and following the ground contour. The leafs are about 1.7 cm long and 1 cm wide and grew densely, overlapping each other, covering 1/3 the 5ft tank's floor area, without even one trying to "stand up" for the light. I could not even see the plants' runners, they were running under the substrate, all of them.

This afternoon, I happened to find the answer when I picked up a book in Borders. The plant I saw in that tank was not Glossostigma Elantinoides but Elatine Macropoda. And another interesting finding was those plants that commonly found here and we called them Glossostigma Elatinoides are actually Glossostigma Diandra (originated from Australia). As the book mentioned, Diandra often grow upwards, like what we often experience, unless suppressed by glaring high light.

The 3 differences between E.M. and G.D. are:
1) E.M. leafs are slightly bigger
2) can be differentiated most well from the flower (when above water)
3) E.M. roots are 4 cm long vs Diandra's 2 cm

I beleive it was the long roots that held the E.M. down well, including the runners.
----------------

Elatine Macropoda
Mediterranean area, in particular south of Europe (comprised Italy, where with other congeneri, it is famous as " water pepper &quot and Africa North, near tinning waters or weakly currents.
Swampy plant, shape driven in thick grassy carpets some centimeter, that they can remain submergeeed to along from the water.
Typical plant for the Association of Bologna, or in order " to upholster " the entire bottom of small bathtubs.
One classified species to most expert; sopporta to along advanced temperatures to 25°C and demands along period of acclimatization before beginning propagar, however always with one sure slowness. Sand-clay grows better on a mixed bottom, in acida and leggermente not too much hard water, normal lighting system.



Glossostigma Diandra
Article


Glossostigma elantinoides

from wat I understand, some of the members who has their glosso growing upwards got it from the same pond as those I took and grew mine flat and seriously, i think 1.7cm long is too weird for elantinoides

[loupgarou]

I would think its kind of weird that every other plant book is wrong...

Glossostigma elantinoides

elantinoides = like elatine (and most likely specifically elatine triandra)

(but there are lots of elatine species that have not been explored..)

[www.Aquatic-Store.com]

which book is this?

[FC]

Simon,
Thank you for your efforts in throwing out some light.

I cannot remember the full name, I think it is "Biotope X X", the "X X" could be "of Aquarium". It is not a core planted tank book but the first chapter covers plants, the rest are dedicated to fishes and streams.

[hwchoy]

glosso runners do not run under the substrate, they run along the surface and send roots down into the substrate, roots are about 4-5cm long. This is the reason you can pull a mat of glosso intact without damaging the roots, whilst you cannot do that with e.g. hairgrass, whose runners runs under and through the substrate such that if you pull a mat of hairgrass, either the leaves will break (most likely) or the entire gravel bed comes up with it!