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New Sword Cultivars
>The LFS has a plant for sale that is labeled "Ozelot Sword". It
>strongly resembles an Amazon Sword but it has some redish veins in
>the stems and leaves. It is about 5 -6 inces tall. The staff at the
>LFS doesn't know the species name. Anyone care to guess? It's a
>really beautiful plant and I'm tempted to buy one, but at $14.99
>each, I'd like to know more about it first. Thanks for any help.
This is a man made cultivar, correctly labeled as Echinodorus 'Ozelot'.
Here's what the Tropica web page says about it:
>Echinodorus 'Ozelot' is a hybrid between Echinodorus schlueteri 'Leopard'
and Echinodorus barthii created by Barth in Dessau in the former East
Germany. It is beautiful with elliptical black spotted red-brownish leaves
and a very short petiole. The black spots has, of course, inspired the name
'Ozelot'. In contrast to many other spotted and flecked plants Echinodorus
'Ozelot' maintains the spots regardless of light intensity and other
environmental factors. Older leaves, however, tends to have dark-red spots
rather than deep black as in the younger leaves. Echinodorus 'Ozelot' is a
sturdy plant and accepts most environmental conditions. If the conditions
are sub optimal the plant just grow more slowly and a bit smaller.
My personal experience echos what is said at the Tropica site except that I
wouldn't call the spots on even the new leaves black. On my plant, they
are a dark maroon, and eventually turn wine red. I love mine. It is a
beautiful plant and has been trouble free. Mine was a 3" plantlet when I
got it, and is less than a year old. I am hoping that in the coming season
it will bloom and produce babies for me. I have propagated E. schlueteri
'Leopard' several times. I am hopeful that it's 'Ozelot' ofspring will be
as obliging, because I'd love to have several, and you are right... they
are pricey!
I must say, though, that the first time I saw the plant offered for sale in
this country (via Florida Aquatic Nursery) was last spring, and the price
was quite a bit higher. If I'm not mistaken, it was over $20 for a well
grown plant.
Another lovely new cultivar to keep your eye out for is E. 'Oriental'.
This big beauty has new leaves that start out as a pale but rosey pink that
turn green with age. I got this one as an adult, last spring, and it
already favored me with a crop of handsome babies this summer.
Karen Randall
Aquatic Gardeners Association