# Salvinia Cucullata



## jameson_uk (15 Apr 2019)

Came across some images of this floater in someone's tank (from US I think) and looked quite interesting.

Anyone have any experience if it and/or has seen it on sale?


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## Natasha (15 Apr 2019)

I haven't shopped with these folks, nor do I have experience with the plant -  but it is available on ebay -

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Floating...671372?hash=item1ee34fb80c:g:0OoAAOSwNRdX9R4R


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## jameson_uk (15 Apr 2019)

Natasha said:


> I haven't shopped with these folks, nor do I have experience with the plant -  but it is available on ebay -
> 
> https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Floating...671372?hash=item1ee34fb80c:g:0OoAAOSwNRdX9R4R


I did see some on eBay and Amazon Marketplace but they generally seemed to have pretty poor reviews.   Can't seem to find much experience of this plant but at that price I might take a punt....


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## dw1305 (15 Apr 2019)

Hi all, 





jameson_uk said:


> Anyone have any experience if it and/or has seen it on sale?


A few years ago I bought some (from a well known auction site), but when it arrived it was _Salvinia_ "auriculata group". I don't think it makes any difference in growth, but I already had (and still have) plenty of _Salvinia_ auriculata.

Have a look at <"ID for Salvinia ...."> and linked threads.

cheers Darrel


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## jameson_uk (16 Apr 2019)

dw1305 said:


> Hi all, A few years ago I bought some (from a well known auction site), but when it arrived it was _Salvinia_ "auriculata group". I don't think it makes any difference in growth, but I already had (and still have) plenty of _Salvinia_ auriculata.
> 
> Have a look at <"ID for Salvinia ...."> and linked threads.
> 
> cheers Darrel


 Not sure why that thread didn't come up when searching ....

I had some Salvinia Natans in my tank a while ago and that did really well.  It seemed to cope better with the moisture from the lid and flow compared to my frogbit but it was a but small for my liking and I ended up taking it out.   

Still trying to work out a balance of flow and floaters as with a spray bar along the back wall I end up with floaters squished up against the front glass.


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## zozo (16 Apr 2019)

To develop that distinct cucullata cup shaped leaf it requires a lot of light and a lot of ferts. If it doesn't get it, it will look no different than Salvinia natans.

It will never realy grow the full potential and stay rather small in aqaurium conditions. It needs full sun and almost eutrophic water and high temperatur for that. The big specimen you find in the trade are imported plants from the tropics. Even nurseries in the northern hemisphere are not able to grow them to full potential. If you buy a full grown specimen and keep it outdoors in eutrophic conditions, a cool summer kills it, it will turn brown and wither away.


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## jameson_uk (16 Apr 2019)

zozo said:


> To develop that distinct cucullata cup shaped leaf it requires a lot of light and a lot of ferts. If it doesn't get it, it will look no different than Salvinia natans.



Are the leaves (or whatever they are called on ferns) any bigger?  I found the Salvinia Natans to be almost duckweed sized (and almost as rampant) thought the Cucullata leaves were a big bigger?


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## dw1305 (16 Apr 2019)

Hi all,





jameson_uk said:


> Are the leaves (or whatever they are called on ferns) any bigger? I found the Salvinia Natans to be almost duckweed sized (and almost as rampant) thought the Cucullata leaves were a big bigger?


I think a lot of it depends on growing conditions, a bit like with <"dwarf" Water Lettuce"> (_Pistia stratiotes_). 

These are the same plant _Salvinia_ "auriculata group "(from <"_Utricularia gibba_ has flowered"> thread). My suspicion is that most of the _Salvinia_ plants sold under different names are actually just different grwth forms of  <"_Salvinia_ "auriculata">  (with "egg whisk shaped hairs")

High light (Glasshouse in the summer)


 

Low light (Aquarium)


 

The plants will cycle from one condition to the other with changes in light and nutrient levels.

cheers Darrel


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## jameson_uk (16 Apr 2019)

Do Salvinia species generally cope better with getting wet that other floaters?  It has been a while since I had the Salvinia Natans but I seem to recall they didn't really mind getting water on the leaves where as the frogbit didn't cope well.


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## dw1305 (16 Apr 2019)

Hi all, 





jameson_uk said:


> Do Salvinia species generally cope better with getting wet that other floaters?


They don't really get wet. It is one way of telling if your _Salvinia_ plants are healthy or not. When they are in growth the leaves are super hydrophobic and the <"water just beads on top of the hairs"> (before being wicked away by the trichomes).





The process is actually called the <"Salvinia effect">.





> The "Salvinia effect" describes the stabilization of an air layer upon a submerged hydrophobic (water repellent) surface by hydrophilic (water loving) pins. This physic-chemical phenomenon was discovered on the floating fern _Salvinia molesta_ by the botanist Wilhelm Barthlott (Universität Bonn) while working on the Lotus effect and was described in cooperation with the physicist Thomas Schimmel (Karlsruher Institut für Technologie), fluid mechanist Alfred Leder (Universität Rostock) and their colleagues in 2010.


cheers Darrel


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## jameson_uk (18 Apr 2019)

So it turned up looking reasonably OK


 
It is certainly very different to the Salvinia Natans I had before (that was much more akin to Duckweed.

Also bought some red root floaters which I fully expect to die off from what I have been reading about them but though it was worth a try.   (Have also stuck a little of each in my shrimp tank so will see how that goes).


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## dw1305 (18 Apr 2019)

Hi all, 





jameson_uk said:


> So it turned up looking reasonably OK


That looks like it might be the real thing. You need to have a look at the <"hairs (trichomes) on the leaf surface">, in _S. cucullata _they are simple (the end in a point).






in _S. auriculata_ group (like _S. molesta_) they are joined at the tip.





jameson_uk said:


> View attachment 123568


<"Frogbit still looks healthy">.

cheers Darrel


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## jameson_uk (18 Apr 2019)

dw1305 said:


> Hi all, That looks like it might be the real thing. You need to have a look at the <"hairs (trichomes) on the leaf surface">, in _S. cucullata _they are simple (the end in a point).


I had a quick look and couldn't see with my eyes.   Will see if I can dig out the magnifying glass later.


> <"Frogbit still looks healthy">.


I had just removed quite a bit of unhealthy looking plants   I think this is mainly from it being squished up against the front glass after I increased the surface agitation a little while ago (in an attempt to help out some of my stems which were struggling a little).   I really need to go back and visit my flow again


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## dw1305 (18 Apr 2019)

Hi all, 





jameson_uk said:


> I think this is mainly from it being squished up against the front glass after I increased the surface agitation a little while ago


That was the problem I had with _Phyllanthus,_ it was always ending up submerged under the other floaters and eventually I stopped rescuing it. 

cheers Darrel


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## jameson_uk (8 May 2019)

I did try to get a look with a magnifying glass but I couldn't really tell and I certainly couldn't get a photo.   I put the battery for the DSLR on charge but then promptly forgot....  Will see if I do remember tomorrow.

The Salvinia has something sprouting but doesn't look like anything I have seen online.

The red root floater has surprised me as from what I had read I assumed it would die off fairly quickly.  Bits of it seemed to flourish and I have at least three times as much as I started with but bits that looked great suddenly went bad.  I think this is down to getting wet (it moved from where it was originally when I did a water change and I think gets a bit more of a ride in the flow).   Put a bit in my shrimp tank and that seems to be doing ok too.


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## jameson_uk (19 May 2019)

The Salvinia broke into three bits and seems to be growing new leafs (fonds?) that look a little different. 

The redroot floater has not fared well.  Not sure if it is flow or moisture but the where I did have a few big chains in now have a lot of unhealthy looking plants.  I have moved them as I think they were getting pushed under water and then dying off.


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## dw1305 (19 May 2019)

Hi all, 





jameson_uk said:


> The Salvinia broke into three bits and seems to be growing new leafs (fonds?) that look a little different.


It is either lower lights or lower nutrient levels or both.





jameson_uk said:


> but doesn't look like anything I have seen online.


It is a vascular plant seedling. Looks like it might be a _Hygrophila_ sp.

cheers Darrel


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## jameson_uk (19 May 2019)

Thanks 



dw1305 said:


> Hi all, It is either lower lights or lower nutrient levels or both.


Light is reasonably high (floaters were to shade some of the other plants).  Have been considering upping the ferts as there are a few small issues here and there and plant mass has increased too.



> It is a vascular plant seedling. Looks like it might be a _Hygrophila_ sp.


I do have some Hyrophila Siamensis that is under where the Salvinia is.  Thought it looked a bit odd!  Is this type of propagation normal?


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## zozo (20 May 2019)

jameson_uk said:


> I did try to get a look with a magnifying glass but I couldn't really tell and I certainly couldn't get a photo.



https://www.amazon.co.uk/Carson-MicroBrite-Lighted-Pocket-Microscope/dp/B00LAX52IQ

 Always handy to have around for determing things..

There are version that can clip on a mobile phone camera lens.


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## dw1305 (20 May 2019)

Hi all, 





jameson_uk said:


> Thought it looked a bit odd! Is this type of propagation normal?


Only if the _Hygrophila_ flowers and sets seed. Almost certainly the seed would have dropped on to the _Salvinia_ plant before it arrived with you. 

<"_Hygrophila_ spp. is just a guess">. Most <"Dicot"> seedlings look much a like, but, from the new leaves, your plant looks likely to be Lamiaceae (Dead Nettles etc) or Acanthaceae (_Hygrophila_ etc.).

cheers Darrel


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