This amazing plant in it's emersed form was brought over to the USA by immigrants following the Vietnamese war (the Vietnamese call it the American war). This water plant, found throughout Southeast Asia often colonizes rice paddy fields and grows submersed when the fields are flooded. As a result of it's strong flavor, reminiscent of citrus and cumin, it is used heavily in Vietnamese (and Thai) cuisine, particularly in soups such as "Canh chua" indigenous to the Mekong River region.
The plant is a member of the plantain family (Plantaginaceae) but these are not related to the plantain fruit. The fact that the emersed leaf has a lemony smell is not a coincidence as it is high in an essential oil whose primary component is "Lemonene", found in lemon rind, which is in a class of hydrocarbons called "Terpenes". Turpentine is a derivative of a type of terpene found in the resin of pine trees.
When I initially put this plant into my tank I had high hopes, but soon my enthusiasm faded as the plant seemed beyond any hope.
As it was taking up space in front I shoved the last surviving stem in the back and completely forgot about it in order to concentrate on other, more pressing concerns such as the carpet plants. After sulking in the back for a few months it completely transformed, so much that I couldn't recall what plant this was because it was unrecognizable. It turns out that as I solved the riddle of the carpet plants I also solved the riddle of aromatica - CO2 and flow distribution. There was suddenly a mushroom cloud explosion of growth.
What is so amazing about this plant is that it's elegant form lends itself to photography. The colors are constantly changing depending on the Kelvin temperature of the bulb, or it's position in the tank, or the nutrient levels. The stems are very opportunistic and they stretch out to catch any available light, no matter where they are.
The versatility of this stem is incredible as it can be used as a focal point or it can be used to complement a scene.
The color changes are more extreme as the crown reaches the surface but this can cause it to become unruly as it blocks flow. The plant is so beautiful that it almost hurts to prune it.
The tonal variations are exquisite but are best captured with tank lighting only. This requires high lighting over the tank to avoid blowing out the delicate translucency of the leaves.
As I peer deeper and deeper with the macro lens I discovered that the surface of the leaves are actually waffled. This is only evident with lower lighting or reduced exposure which creates some interesting moods.
L. aromatica is so versatile it never disappoints. I can gaze at it's forms endlessly. Trying to capture it's essence though is like looking for distant galaxies with the Hubble telescope. Who would have thought this otherwise smelly and dirty swamp weed could grace an aquarium with endless varieties of form and color.
Cheers,
The plant is a member of the plantain family (Plantaginaceae) but these are not related to the plantain fruit. The fact that the emersed leaf has a lemony smell is not a coincidence as it is high in an essential oil whose primary component is "Lemonene", found in lemon rind, which is in a class of hydrocarbons called "Terpenes". Turpentine is a derivative of a type of terpene found in the resin of pine trees.
When I initially put this plant into my tank I had high hopes, but soon my enthusiasm faded as the plant seemed beyond any hope.
As it was taking up space in front I shoved the last surviving stem in the back and completely forgot about it in order to concentrate on other, more pressing concerns such as the carpet plants. After sulking in the back for a few months it completely transformed, so much that I couldn't recall what plant this was because it was unrecognizable. It turns out that as I solved the riddle of the carpet plants I also solved the riddle of aromatica - CO2 and flow distribution. There was suddenly a mushroom cloud explosion of growth.
What is so amazing about this plant is that it's elegant form lends itself to photography. The colors are constantly changing depending on the Kelvin temperature of the bulb, or it's position in the tank, or the nutrient levels. The stems are very opportunistic and they stretch out to catch any available light, no matter where they are.
The versatility of this stem is incredible as it can be used as a focal point or it can be used to complement a scene.
The color changes are more extreme as the crown reaches the surface but this can cause it to become unruly as it blocks flow. The plant is so beautiful that it almost hurts to prune it.
The tonal variations are exquisite but are best captured with tank lighting only. This requires high lighting over the tank to avoid blowing out the delicate translucency of the leaves.
As I peer deeper and deeper with the macro lens I discovered that the surface of the leaves are actually waffled. This is only evident with lower lighting or reduced exposure which creates some interesting moods.
L. aromatica is so versatile it never disappoints. I can gaze at it's forms endlessly. Trying to capture it's essence though is like looking for distant galaxies with the Hubble telescope. Who would have thought this otherwise smelly and dirty swamp weed could grace an aquarium with endless varieties of form and color.
Cheers,
