Wet Leaves and Dry Leaves (was: Submergent/emergent)

[James Folsom <hymy at arches_uga.edu>]

last summer, I planted an Ozelot sword submerged in a pot of water 
outside.  It actually produces at least 2 different submergent leaves. 
One under the fluorescent lighting in the aquarium, and another in full 
sunlight.  I believe it too stopped producing submergent leaves once it 
had emergent leaves.  But it didn't produce leaves that came up out of 
the water, they just floated, more like lilly pads.

I planted one of the plantlets in a pot, with no standing water, and put 
it in a sunny windowsill, it grows a leaf type very similar to the 
bright sunlight submergent leaf, only a little stiffer.  It's blooming too.



> I'll tell you my experience, such as it is.
> 
> Rose swords. Once they develop the large leaves that go to the surface, 
> that's it. They will only develop air leaves. You can prune them off which 
> stunts the plant and immersed leaves will be formed again. The old leaves 
> will die as they grow old which could happen faster as they are shaded. New 
> immersed leaves won't grow, swords only grow from the crowns and the crown 
> is growing emersed leaves now. If a plant has multiple crowns I don't know, 
> no experience. If a water leaf is too tall for the tank, the leaf will 
> shrivel up in the air leaving half a leaf.