Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V2 #120

To: Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
Subject: Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V2 #120
From: George Booth <booth at hpmtlgb1_lvld.hp.com>
Date: Wed, 05 Jun 1996 15:47:37 -0600
In-Reply-To: Your message of "Wed, 05 Jun 1996 15:39:03 EDT." <199606051939.PAA30951 at looney_actwin.com>

> From:  (Dirk)
> Date: Wed, 5 Jun 1996 10:12:30 -0500
> Subject: This and that
> 
> 3)  Plant ID:
> thanks in large part to all the help I get here, I'm achieving
> increasing success with aquatic plants.  I do not, however, know the
> name of my most successful plant.  Can someone help me with an ID?
> Description: I vaguely recall it was sold as "Moneywort."  It is a
> stem plant with rather circular leaves.  At regular intervals the
> leaves emerge from the stem in pairs opposite each other.  Each pair
> alternates direction--that is to say if one pair of leaves emerges
> east and west from the stem, the pairs above and below emerge north
> and south.  The plant roots itself quite well, and sometimes roots
> protrude from the places where the leaves are attached.  What is it?

My primary guess is Lysimachia nummularia.  This question comes up a
lot since the plant is hard to find in reference books. Try:

  The Complete Book of Aquarium Plants.  Allgayer, R., Teton, J. (1987)
  Aquarium Atlas.  Baensch, H.A., Riehl, R. (1986)
  System for a Problem Free Aquarium.  Dennerle (1990)
  Nature and Aquarium.  Gesting, B. (1993)
  Aquarium Plants, Windelov's Tropica Catalogue.  (1987)
  Picture Encyclopedia of Aquarium Plants.  Yamada, H. (1989)

If the leaves are smallish (1/2") and thick, it may be Bacopa monnieri
but this plant probably has leaves that tend towards oval.

George