red sword observation

[<rspahn at sackets-harbor-high_moric.org>]

Hi, I do maintanence on a 55 gallon planted tank. They have a very 
pretty red-leafed sword that for the last few visits (every three 
weeks) had been getting smaller and smaller, even with fertilizing, 
couldn't figure out why.  Finally learned yesterday.  It was 
propagating.  It grew a fairly long sideways woody rhizome (about 1 
1/2' long), about as thick as a pencil, and at one end was the 
original plant at the other end was a new plant.  It looked like a 
miniature barbell. 
	 I've never had a large sword propagate like that.  I've had a 
baby plant form off of the crown of the adult or by cutting off the 
rhizome after it has gone down below the plant.  
	I separated the two plants and broke off as much of the 
rhizome as I could and replanted them.  See what they look like in 
three weeks.    Ray