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Hard/soft water, Glossostigma/Lilaeopsis



>Steve writes:
>
><snip>> That's exactly what Karen Randall told me during her presentation
here
>>  in San Francisco, Wright.  She said she cannot grow Glosso in her hard
>>  Boston water, but that she can grow a Lilliaeopsis (sp.?) lawn quite
>>  easily.<<snip>

Bob Dixon wrote:

>So, can anyone give a cut-off point between the two, or the preferred
range of
>each?  If I wanted to get a foreground "lawn" going of one or the other, do I
>just plant a little of each and see which one takes over?

That's the approach I'd take.  As one person wrote, there's no "magic"
cut-off point between hard and soft water, and there are _many_ other
variables.  And as we've seen, for every "rule" there's an exception.  I'd
definitely try both, and see what worked best for me.

Someone also questioned what species we're talking about with Lilaeopsis.
There are a number of different species, including at least one U.S.
native.  The commercially available stuff is usually sold under the name L.
novaezelandea, but to my knowledge, that plant is not in commercial
propagation.  Most of the Lilaeopsis sold is probably L. braziliensis.
Telling them all apart is extremely difficult.

From Dan Q's post, I'm wondering if he's working with the temperate U.S.
native.  The braziliensis I have thrives even at temperatures in the mid
80's.  In fact, it took over my tank, totally displacing a stand of E.
tenellus during a heat wave an umber of years ago.  The temperatures in the
tank hovered around 90F for 6 weeks that summer.

Karen Randall
Aquatic Gardeners Association