I purchased a plant labeled Echinodorus osiris approximately 20 months ago. Recently a friend informed me that this plant was actually an Echinodorus horemanni. When I originally purchased the plant it looked like E. osiris pictured in books however, after almost two years it now looks more closely like E. horemanni pictures.
In any case I want to propagate this plant. It is supposed to produce adventitious plants on the flower stalk. However, it has never sent up a flower stalk. I have no difficulty get some of my other plants (i.e. Echinodorus amazonicus, Aponogeton madagascariensis, Samolus parviflorus, Vallisneria sp., or Pygmy chain sword) to flower or form additional offsets.
This plant is in apparent excellent health. I regularly need to trim off some of the outer older leaves or the plant would take over the 55 gallon it is in.
What can I do to get this plant to flower? Does it need anything special that is not necessary for my other plants?
Has anyone else had experience in propagating either of the two species I believe this plant to be?
Dan H. Foley III
Utah State University
Department of
Biology
wildlife at biology_usu.edu