# Aquatic plants of India



## navneethtk (26 Sep 2014)

Hey guys just wanted to make this thread to display aquatic plants which are found in India.

Here, in my country one needs to pay lot to get aquatic plants which they desire for. Some of our native mosses and ferns especially are exported. Some of us here didn't even know of its existence. We didn't know until recently that Hygrophila pinnatifida is an Indian plant. 

So here's a thread of the Indian plants. Hope you guys like it. 

(Admin if this thread has to be moved please move it. I wasn't sure if it fits)

First plant: 
Crepidomanes cf. malabaricum

A small epiphytic that is found growing on barks of trees close to streams. Usually found in very humid foresty areas. I was able to get a sample collected from the wild and I've been using it in my upcoming scapes.


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## Edvet (27 Sep 2014)

If at all possible could you add pictures of it's natural surroundings?


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## navneethtk (28 Sep 2014)

Edvet said:


> If at all possible could you add pictures of it's natural surroundings?


Will try to get a pic of that.

Here's a fern that was collected in the western ghats of India. Its a microsorum variety. The leaves have roundish tips and grows very short.



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## navneethtk (30 Sep 2014)

India is home to 86 varieties of fissidens as per a survey conducted it 2010. Now there can be more. Most of them are purely terrestrial but some can be grown in submerged conditions. Here in this pic I've placed a mini fissidens variety I had found. It was dormant for months before it sprouted new leaves. Right is a leaf of fissidens fontanus to compare size.

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## Bhu (30 Sep 2014)

Is that a rupee? I once had one with Ganesh on that i treasured.... 

Lovely plants. Would be great to see images of where you collect them.


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## Bhu (1 Oct 2014)

Have you come across this one?
*Pogostemon erectus *
I got me some and was told it comes from India. Still awaiting for it to take really. Should look lovely when it reaches to the top and I can prune it to bush it out a bit.





 Would love to learn more about it, what its natural habitat is, fast flowing or still waters and what it needs to grow well.


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## navneethtk (2 Oct 2014)

Bhu said:


> Have you come across this one?
> *Pogostemon erectus *
> I got me some and was told it comes from India. Still awaiting for it to take really. Should look lovely when it reaches to the top and I can prune it to bush it out a bit.
> 
> ...


Yes it is an Indian stem plant. It grows in muddy slow flowing streams. Its always flowering. And fish such as gouramis, shrimps and killifish hide in it.

Another pogostemon variety found in central south India is pogostemon deccanensis. Slightly larger than erectus

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## Bhu (2 Oct 2014)

Thank you so much! That's great to have it identified for certain. I guess it likes a lot of nutrient and lots of co2 then if its in muddy slow flowing streams. The mud would hold lots of nutrient and the slow flow combined with the decaying matter in the mud would create co2 as well as from the atmosphere. Really looking forward to it flowering one day  I was told it can reach lengths of up to 40cm does that sound about right? What would you say the temperature of the streams are? India varies from 10'C (or even freezing further north in the Himalayan) at night in winter to 40'C + in some areas in summer!


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## James D (2 Oct 2014)

I've got nothing to contribute but I'd like to say keep them coming mate, it's an interesting thread. I also second what Ed said, I'm always interested to see these plants in their natural environment.


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## navneethtk (2 Oct 2014)

Bhu said:


> Thank you so much! That's great to have it identified for certain. I guess it likes a lot of nutrient and lots of co2 then if its in muddy slow flowing streams. The mud would hold lots of nutrient and the slow flow combined with the decaying matter in the mud would create co2 as well as from the atmosphere. Really looking forward to it flowering one day  I was told it can reach lengths of up to 40cm does that sound about right? What would you say the temperature of the streams are? India varies from 10'C (or even freezing further north in the Himalayan) at night in winter to 40'C + in some areas in summer!


You seem to know India well, where are you from?

As for the height, the tallest I've seen is 2.5' in length. Temperature here where I stay ranges from 26-35° celsius. In our tanks we maintain it at 21-26°.

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## Bhu (2 Oct 2014)

I'm from the UK but have visited India on many occasions. I love India! It's fantastic! The people, the culture the food! But the land is so magical  and as its so large so varied... I still have much to see and have really only seen parts of Rajasthan, Goa, Maharashtra and Delhi. So much more to see!

Back to plants, 2 and a half feet! For real? Ha ha ha that's mad growth to come


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## navneethtk (2 Oct 2014)

Bhu said:


> I'm from the UK but have visited India on many occasions. I love India! It's fantastic! The people, the culture the food! But the land is so magical  and as its so large so varied... I still have much to see and have really only seen parts of Rajasthan, Goa, Maharashtra and Delhi. So much more to see!
> 
> Back to plants, 2 and a half feet! For real? Ha ha ha that's mad growth to come


Aaah great, but all those states that you mentioned? They're not very rich in aquatic plants due to the climate. The next time you come to India visit the following states:
Uttar Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Orissa
Karnataka
Kerala

These states have the most varied amount of plants. I will try to get a pic of the pogostemon which i saw growing in a tall planted tank at an LFS. 

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## Bhu (2 Oct 2014)

Yes I would love to visit these states a well. Thank you for the info and pics to come...


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## Edvet (2 Oct 2014)

Navneeth, do you live in the country or in a (big) city?


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## navneethtk (2 Oct 2014)

Edvet said:


> Navneeth, do you live in the country or in a (big) city?


In the city, Bangalore. Within the city also we find some plants such as:
azolla 
bacopa
duckweed
otellia
Vallisnaria. 

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## navneethtk (2 Oct 2014)

Here's a potamogeton sp. That a friend of mine found. Found in a lake. 

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## Bhu (2 Oct 2014)

navneethtk said:


> In the city, Bangalore. Within the city also we find some plants such as:
> azolla
> bacopa
> duckweed
> ...



Do you mean at LFS or in the wild?
I like the potamogeton. Is it corm based as the aponogetons?


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## Mick.Dk (2 Oct 2014)

Bhu said:


> I like the potamogeton. Is it corm based as the aponogetons?


- nope. Potamogetons do a kind of runners, pretty much like Valisneria does. But producing a stem instead of a rosette.


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## Bhu (3 Oct 2014)

That's good to know. I've never come across such a plant. Looks lovely too.


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## navneethtk (3 Oct 2014)

Bhu said:


> Do you mean at LFS or in the wild?
> I like the potamogeton. Is it corm based as the aponogetons?


I mean in water bodies in the city.

Potamogetons are runners in the wild but in a tank it grows like a stem for me.

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## dw1305 (3 Oct 2014)

Hi all, 
_The _Potomageton looks very much like one I used to have (I may still have it, but I'm not sure where). 

"A1Matt" kindly had it identified for me on the LFKC forum <Plant - ID _Potamogeton_>.

cheers Darrel


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