Re: Alternanthera species

[Paul Sears <psears at nrn1_NRCan.gc.ca>]

> From: Paul Krombholz <krombhol at teclink_net>
> 
> Alternanthera sessilis is dark beet-red color.  A. reineckii has 
> various color forms, green to red, but none is such a dark, rather 
> dull, beet red.  A. sessilis also has a thinner stem.  than 
> reineckii.  

> From: David Whittaker <dwhitt at sympatico_ca>
> 
> The A. sessilis has wine-coloured stems and smallish emersed leaves. I
> was unable to grow it submersed. It is a tough bog plant. Big Als on
> Innes Road was selling a whole lot of Alternanthera a week ago. It
> looked like A. sessilis. The A. reineckii that I've seen and grown in
> Ottawa has softer, less brittle stems and leaves. The leaves are brown
> on top and red below, maybe 4 cm long, 8 mm wide.

	Thanks to both of you.  I'm now just about certain I have 
A. sessilis.  It's doing nothing except put out roots from most of
its nodes.  I grew one A. species years ago, but it died out.  The
differences you indicate are consistent with my memory of the one
that grew and my observations of this one.  I got it from Big Al's
in that horrible shopping centre in Kanata.  I think I'll put it in
a pot.

> I don't have any left,
> but there may be someone in OVAS (Ottawa Valley Aquarium Society) who
> does.

	It's about time I joined anyway!  I'll contact you directly, David.

-- 

Paul Sears
psears_at_nrn1_dot_nrcan.gc.ca, 613-996-4171, facsimile / télécopieur 613-996-9400
Natural Resources Canada, 1, Haanel Drive, Nepean, Ontario K1A 1M1
Ressources naturelles Canada, 1, Haanel Drive, Nepean, Ontario K1A 1M1
Government of Canada / Gouvernement du Canada