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Re: Nymphaea success and questions
<<Around 1 year ago I picked up an unidentified bulb at my LFS. It
turned out to be some kind of dwarf lily. It put out 4-5 smallish
arrow-shaped leaves and just sort of sat there. Then, after
several months, the leaves died off rather suddenly. A month or
so later, I was surprised to discover a new plant about 5 inches
from the original location. Then, the original plant came back
with 4 submerged leaves, and then started sending up floaters. I
should point out here that my tank is 30" deep and the substrate-
to-surface distance is at least 25" where the plant is. I now have
three cute little (2-3") lily pads on the surface, and another on
the way.
Now that I've got this thing growing, it might be time to learn
something about it. So I have a few questions:
Was the die-off of the original plant a natural cycle for this
plant? (i.e. part of dividing the original bulb?) Or did
something in my tank cause it?
How long will it take for the daughter plant to produce daughter
plants of its own?
Can I expect the plant to flower at this point? If so, does anyone
have any suggestions to ensure successful reproduction?>>
I believe I may have the same plant. It started as a mystery bulb from a
lfs and is now a thriving plant. It produces 3-5" pads at a rate of
about 4-5 a week. I have to trim them constantly to keep them from
blocking too much light. About 4 months ago the plant became separated
from the bulb during a tank-tank transfer. Shortly after that, all the
submerged leaves died and the plant assumed its current rate of growth.
During the last month a couple interesting things have happened. First
the leaves began to change. The new leaves were larger than the old
ones and now had jagged, upturned edges. About 2 weeks ago a
pink/reddish bud formed at the base of the plant. it reached the surface
this past weekend and bloomed. The flower was a 2.5" lotus-looking white
blossom with yellow stamen. For 3 days it opened each morning and closed
each evening. yesterday it was underwater an closed. A second bud broke
the surface last night and a third is now on its way to the surface. I'm
not sure exactly what the plant is, but have a couple of guesses. It is
a beautiful plant with a massive network of roots. Hope these
observations help.
Richard Hostler
Product Information Editor
PC Connection
(603) 423-2234