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Re: pygmy swords
>Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 20:44:51 -0600 (MDT)
>From: "Roger S. Miller" <rgrmill at rt66_com>
>A couple years ago I bought a few (5, I think) plants that the local store
>called "pygmy chain swords". I assumed that the plant was E. tenellus and
>the fish store guy agreed. (He might have agreed if I thought they were
>Martian snoot grass.) The plants were apparently in an emersed-grown
>form. They were about 2 1/2 inches high and their leaves were straight and
>consisted of an indistinct petiole and a lanceolate blade. The blades
>were only about 4 millimeters across and slightly shorter than the
>petiole.
This sound like what I identify as E. quadricostatus. A few of the Japanese
books seem to call them that also. Check Amano.
If the runners are above or near the top of the substrate, I would go with
Echinodorus. If they are in the subtrate, Sagitarria may be what you have.
E. quadricostatus has nicely root-like roots whereas S. pusilla has roots
more like crypts and you will find lumpy nodes amoug the roots. S. pullia
seems to grow low in bright light and tall in darker areas. E. quad. is
just the opposite.
I've always thought that E. tenellus is more like your front lawn - thin,
short blades, mostly medium to dark green with some reddish leaves. Mine
stays under 2" tall.
George
George Booth, Ft. Collins, Colorado (booth at frii_com)
Back on-line! New URL! Slightly new look! Same good data!
http://www.frii.com/~booth/AquaticConcepts/