Re: Alternanthera species

[Paul Krombholz <krombhol at teclink_net>]

    * To: Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
    * Subject: Alternanthera species
    * From: Paul Sears <psears at nrn1_NRCan.gc.ca>
    * Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2003 16:03:22 -0400 (EDT)
    * In-reply-to: <200303141156_h2EBuo6N009405 at otter.actwin.com> 
from "Aquatic Plants Digest" at Mar 14, 2003 06:56:50 AM

I recently bought a plant I believe to be an Alternanthera of some sort.
I've looked at pictures on the web, and suspect that I have A. sessilis,
which most sources say won't grow submersed.  Could anyone familiar with
both A. reineckii and A. sessilis describe the differences for me?

Thanks
--

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.  When I attempted to grow A. sessilis submersed, it lost 
most of its leaves, and was not able to form any new leaves.  The 
stem grew very slowly, but the leaves formed were only vestiges. 
when the stem finally got above the water surface, it produced normal 
leaves.  I have had a similar experience with a large species of 
Ludwigia that is common in this area (central Mississippi).  It, too, 
can not form leaves underwater, but the stem can slowly grow.

--
Paul Krombholz in soggy central Mississippi, where it is wetter than 
it ought to be.