Pellia endiviifolia=I hate spelling sometimes

["Daphne Freeman" <daphne.freeman at charter_net>]

Diana asked about pellia and riccia.

They are both in the liverwort family.

Riccia has no roots, etc in which to attach and no matter how effectively
you secure it, it eventually comes loose.  I lay it on a curved piece of
plastic mesh (with a rock underneath for weight) and use a piece of netting
stretched over it with a rubber band underneath to hold it all together.  It
grows through the netting and begins to come loose.  I remove the riccia,
pull off everything underneath (it dies back with no light), retie the
netting (with riccia all entangled in it) and stretch a new piece of netting
over it.  Each time I redo it, I just remove the bottom netting and stick it
back on the top.  If you don't continue to do this, the whole piece
eventually comes loose and is back floating. It makes a lovely riccia mound.
Several people have had experience with it "morphing" into a sinking form
but it apparently isn't as nice or attractive.  There is quite a bit of
discussion in the archives on this.

Pellia develops rhizoids which are tiny root-like hairs.  It attaches to
things but not as quickly or aggressively as java fern.  By gently
stretching netting over it to hold it in place, it will root to things. It
is a beautiful plant.  New leaves grow off the existing ones.  I have seen
new leaves sprout perpendicular to the original leaf when it is laying flat.
It grows relatively slowly and seems rather indifferent to lighting levels.
Amano shrimp love to pick at anything in netting.  The pieces that are
ripped loose fall to the substrate and grow there.  It does not float.

Daphne