help me figure out what plant i have!

[rracechase]

I have this plant that i found in a pond. i, being a sucker for anything new to add to my tank, dug it up and shoved it in the gravel. but i dont know what it is. i was hoping someone could help me. It is about 2 inches tall and has a bulb the size of a fat baby carrot that kind of looks like a pimply banana. (food references, eh? )

this is it!

if you could help me identify it that would be great.

 

[marchmaxima]

Hi rracechase. Welcome to AA!

Absolutely no idea, sorry. Have you tried over at PlantGeek.net - Plant Guide ?

What's that purple thing back there?

 

[rracechase]

no i havent! ive tried just about every other site Google gave me. thanks!

the purple thing is a plant i bought from a pet store. i forgot the name they gave me, so i just call it a crinkled ludwigia. it seems to be growing pretty well and has livened up my primarily green and blue tank.

 

[rracechase]

OH. i forgot to mention that i found it in a south Florida creek (Shell Creek). it does branch into the Peace River, brackish water, and then that heads into the the Gulf Of Mexico. i hope that can help.

 

[HiJaC]

looks like lettuce.

try tasting a bit

 

[rracechase]

im almost tempted to haha. my tetras enjoy nibbling on it once and a while

 

[Hara]

Your purple plant is this. It is not a true aquatic and will eventually rot.

The plant you are asking about though looks possibly like some kind of Nymphaea.

 

[travis simonson]

From your description of the bulb and the color and shape of the plant's leaves it would appear to be a variety of Nuphar, likely Nuphar japonicum, a pond lily native to Japan that has been introduced to the waters of the southeastern United States. It is a very colorful plant and can get very large, with leaves 24-36" tall and a diameter of over 24". I've kept this plant and really enjoy it, but you need a large tank to prevent it from overwhelming everything around it.

It does start off as a bit of a slow-grower but will really take off once it gets rolling. I suspect that if you trim any leaves that it attempts to send to the surface and also occasionally trim its roots or keep it in a small pot to prevent it from the developing the massive root system that it prefers, you can keep it under control. It does best in medium or better lighting and will benefit from root fertilization.

Have fun with this one

 

[rracechase]

i found something on japonicum last night but wasn't sure. thanks a lot! and the roots have become somewhat of a nuisance. i have to trim them once a month or else they'll grow about 5 inches long!