Subclass Alismatidae ( Alismatidae )
Order Alismatales ( Alismatales )
Family Alismataceae ( Alismataceae )
Genus Echinodorus — Echinodorus.
Large-flower burhead — Echinodorus grandiflorus.
Synonyms: Echinodorus argentinensis, Echinodorus aureus, Echinodorus claussenii, Echinodorus dubius, Echinodorus floribundum, Echinodorus longibracteatus, Echinodorus muricatus, Echinodorus punctatus, Echinodorus sellowianus.
«1» Central and South America. Medium-sized plant. The length of a plant grown in aquarium conditions is no more than 35 cm. Leaves are light green, without pigment spots, but just as opaque as in E. scaber, which is why top light hardly penetrates under the rosette. It is characterized by the fact that new leaves have a yellowish color, while old ones are golden. This plant bears lanceolate leaves in the first phase of development. The base of the leaf is cordate, but unlike the obcordate apex in E. scaber, its apex is rounded and has a blunt-pointed tip. Longitudinal veins protrude on the underside of the leaf, with 3–5 veins visible.
In the second phase, the plant develops elongated-cordate leaves with a shallow cordate notch at the base, narrowing towards the apex and ending in a sharp tip; longitudinal veins are pale green, well expressed, with 5-7 visible veins. The ratio of leaf length to width is 2:1. Leaves sit on petioles. The length of the petiole is equal to or greater than the leaf length. Leaf color ranges from light to dark green. They have translucent dots.
«2» This plant is slow-growing and is best cultivated in medium-hard water, slightly acidified with peat, at a water temperature of 24°C in summer and 18°C in winter. Water hardness 6-8°, pH 6.5. Peat filtration of water is desirable. A strong, unpretentious plant, resistant to excessive lighting, under which it retains its underwater form. Under weak lighting and a short daylight hours, the leaf blade can be up to 20 cm long and up to 15 cm wide, while under brighter lighting it is noticeably smaller. It does not need too long (more than 12 hours) daylight hours.
«4» The root system is well developed; the stem is thick, straight, and short. It grows well both in new aquariums with a relatively poor substrate (under limited lighting) and in rich, silted substrates where the plant does not need excessive lighting.
«5» A large plant suitable for large aquariums. Since the diameter of the rosette reaches approximately 35-40 cm, it is advisable to place it in large decorative aquariums in the middle ground. As one of the main plants, it is suitable for a brightly lit Dutch aquarium. When looking at the rosette from the side, the leaves appear somewhat bent downwards, with the edges of the leaf slightly raised above its middle. Occupying a lot of space, it alone is able to replace dozens of small plants. It contrasts well with aquatic plants that have narrow leaves.
Under favorable conditions, leaves grow quite quickly, approximately one leaf per week. Two, rarely three leaves are in the development phase at the same time. Leaves live a long time, more than half a year, and therefore 30-40 or more accumulate on the bush in the rosette. Many plants cannot exist under a well-developed bush. Some fish, such as angelfish, readily attach their eggs to the tough leaves. Maintenance conditions are difficult. The plant is hard-leaved, and its dense leaves are inaccessible to many herbivorous fish and snails.
«6» The plant propagates by vegetative shoots from axillary buds on the old stem and, in small numbers, from adventitious buds on the flower stalk.
Amazon sword plant, Bleher’s sword plant — Echinodorus grisebachii.
Synonyms: Echinodorus amazonicus, Echinodorus amphibius, Echinodorus bleheri, Echinodorus brevipedicellatus, Echinodorus eglandulosus, Echinodorus gracilis, Echinodorus parviflorus, Echinodorus peruensis, Echinodorus platyphylla, Echinodorus tocantins. (Eng – Amazon Sword, Broadleaved Amazon Swordplant, Ruffle Sword).
«1» South America, Brazil. A very common plant often called the “Amazon”. One of the medium-sized representatives, it has a habit of reacting to the nature of lighting with the coloration and shape of the leaf blade, petiole length, and the size of the bush itself. The plant forms a compact multi-leaf rosette up to 40-50 cm high. Width 15-30 cm, the diameter of the Amazon bush can exceed 50 cm. Petioles are triangular, up to 20 cm long.
Leaf blades are 20-30 cm long and 6-8 cm wide, variable in shape, however, two types predominate: lanceolate blades, almost equally narrowed at both ends, or oval-ovate blades, truncate or slightly lobed at the base. Usually, the leaves are bent back like ancient swords. Leaf blades are dark green; transverse veins are dense and dark brown, giving the entire leaf a dark olive tint, which is why this species is often called the “black Echinodorus”. Leaves grown out of water practically do not rise, preferring to creep along its surface.
«2» It lives in aquariums with a temperature of at least 20-23°C and tolerates temperature increases up to 29°C very well. Water can range from very soft (1-2°) to hard (15° or even more). The plant feels somewhat better in neutral and slightly alkaline water, but grows quite satisfactorily in an acidic environment as well. At pH < 6.2, leaf tips deteriorate. Water changes should be carried out regularly, 3-4 times a month. In old acidic water, Echinodorus slows down its growth and begins to drop old leaves. If Echinodorus grows in a tropical aquarium at a temperature of 28°C, it is very useful to provide it with a “winter” twice a year by lowering the water temperature to 20-22°C for 2 months.
Lighting for this species of Echinodorus can be both strong and medium; it tolerates shading. Echinodorus is not demanding regarding lighting, although it grows better in diffused light with regularly changed water, but with a lack of light, the leaves lose their interesting coloration and simply become green. The size of the leaf, as well as its shape, directly depends on the duration of the daylight hours.
When the lighting duration is more than 12 hours, the plant’s leaves have a linear shape with a cuneate base and a pointed top, up to 30 cm long, up to 4 cm wide, and light green in color. Plants with a shorter daylight hours (no more than 8 hours) have oval leaves with a cordate base and a rounded apex, up to 25 cm long, up to 6.5 cm wide, and dark green in color with a dense network of dark brown veins. The best daylight hours are 10-12 hours.
Under bright light, the leaves bend more in the horizontal plane, and the rosette turns out sprawling and hollow inside. If the lighting is moderate, the rosette forms denser and more compact, with leaves standing almost vertically. But in both cases, the Amazon develops quite normally, without the slightest sign of degradation.
Discoloration of the inner leaves means that the plant still lacks light. In this case, the plants should be transplanted to a brighter place or under a strong light fixture. With a daylight duration of 14 hours or more, the plant can form elliptic leaves on long petioles. It looks best in partially shaded aquariums with neutral and slightly acidic water.
«4» It has a powerful branched root system. Its powerful root system requires a fairly thick layer of substrate. It never forms floating or emergent leaves, so it can be cultivated in a rich substrate without any risk. It also tolerates water heavily saturated with organic matter very well, and grows well in both silted and slightly silted substrates. A nutrient substrate improves growth. It is advisable to place lumps of clay and boiled peat under the root system. In an old aquarium, the natural silting of the substrate is quite sufficient to feed the plant.
With accelerated growth, the plant should be fertilized from time to time. The need for this is easily determined by the growth rate: as soon as short, light-green leaves suddenly begin to grow, fertilizer application is necessary. Mineral fertilization with a sufficiently nutritious substrate and regular water changes is optional. Periodic addition of liquid iron-containing fertilizers to the aquarium water is also desirable. The nature of the substrate has practically no effect on the growth of Echinodorus. If a substrate consisting of fine fractions is used, the substrate layer must be at least 5-6 cm thick. If the substrate particles are larger, the substrate layer can be thicker.
«5» Unpretentious, can grow in a wide variety of conditions, and tolerates transplantation well. The plant can be recommended to beginner aquarists as very hardy and undemanding regarding maintenance conditions. An ideal plant even for small aquariums, suitable for medium and large aquariums. Long lanceolate leaves extend upwards from the bush up to 50 cm very densely, which forces this plant to be placed in open spaces near the back wall of the aquarium. It should not be placed close to the glass and especially in a corner: the “flattened” rosette creates an illusion of chaos, even though it turns out more compact. It is advisable that there is at least 10 cm from the growth point to the nearest wall.
A bush planted in the central part of the aquarium with corkscrew-like leaf bends is very effective. When planting, make sure that the root collar of the plant is above the sand level and all roots are immersed in it. The distance between bushes should be at least 15 cm. Young plants that are still “building” their crown look especially decorative. They are permanently green, fresh, and neat. In adult specimens, young leaves replace old ones, which gradually turn yellow and disintegrate.
Bright green elongated lanceolate leaves form a large, very dense bush. Within a few months, a lush, dense bush with many leaves grows in the aquarium. A single plant can bear 30-40 well-developed leaves, so despite its small size, it is able to occupy quite a lot of space in the center of a large body of water. An adult plant with a large number of leaves gathered in a dense rosette looks very decorative. Planting density — 1 plant per 35 cm2.
It must be taken into account that due to the high density of the bush, even the most shade-tolerant plants grow poorly in its shadow. Large adult Echinodorus specimens must be kept in large tanks. The plant should be trimmed, otherwise its leaves will shade the plants growing below. Leaves that begin to turn brown must be removed. If algae appear on the leaves, it means the Amazon is receiving too much light. Algae must be removed by carefully passing the leaves between your fingers or using an algicide. Produces 2-4 leaves per month.
«6» It propagates vegetatively, using long runners that the plant throws out in large numbers. The parent plant forms one or several very long flower spikes at once, on which many daughter plants appear. Most often, flower stalks are formed in the spring-summer period. Instead of a leaf, a flower stalk snake appears from the center of the rosette — usually one, but sometimes 2-3 at once, rushing to the surface and bearing a plantlet (sometimes two or three) in each whorl. Reaching the surface, the spike does not stop growing, but creeps further, reaching a length of 50-60 cm. A well-developed spike has 3 to 8 whorls. A mass of well- and fast-rooting daughter plantlets is formed, which, after the appearance of 4-5 leaves and a root system, can be separated and replanted in a new place.
Young plants will develop faster if the formed runner is immediately pressed to the substrate with pins. When separating plantlets, do not rush; sprouts prematurely deprived of parental nutrition often lack the strength for a normal independent life, develop very sluggishly, and some die altogether. They are grown without being separated for quite a long time, until leaves 10-15 cm long and a well-developed root system are formed. It will not hurt to apply growth stimulants in appropriate places. Such a plant can then be immediately planted in a permanent place. When separating daughter plants from the runner, maximum care must be taken, as the runner is very fragile. The formation of a large number of daughter plants does not impair the growth of the parent bush.
Echinodorus parviflorus “Tropica” — Echinodorus grisebachii parviflorus “Tropica”.
«1» Selection form. It is distinguished by color saturation and pronounced corrugation of leaf blades, compactness of the rosette, and more modest dimensions overall. It has beautiful wavy leaves with small tips. Leaves are crinkled, up to dark green, young ones are reddish, longitudinal veins are lighter, the surface of the leaf blade is dotted with transverse indentations. At the very base, the shape of the leaf blade is broadly ovate, rarely more elongated, the leaf ending is acute or rounded, or rounded with a short sharp tip in the middle.
Petioles are significantly shorter than those of the main species, the leaf blade is coarse, slightly bubbly, either curved or unrolled into a shallow spiral, or straight with a wavy edge. Leaves bend to the sides, young ones lie on old ones, resulting in an unusual and very beautiful ball-shaped rosette. Echinodorus is compact: bush width up to 20 cm, height up to 15 cm. Disadvantages of “Tropica” include the need for bright lighting and a relatively low vegetation rate. Under weak lighting, the size of the bush is smaller than under strong lighting. Old leaves suffer from algae fouling.
«2» Temperature 21-28°C. The plant prefers neutral, slightly alkaline, not very soft water. pH 5.5-8.0. Daylight duration 10-12 hours a day. The plant size depends on the light intensity; under weak lighting, it is very small. The substrate should be a nutrient layer 3-5 cm thick.
«5» It is recommended to use it for planting in the foreground of a spacious aquarium or along the middle line of a small one. It looks most effective in small groups. Strong specimens have up to 20-25 leaves, rosette diameter up to 20 cm. Growth rate is slow. Maintenance conditions are medium. They form a flower stem on which young plants develop. Plantlets are reluctant to put down roots. In the absence of offshoots, it can be propagated by dividing the rhizome.
Identification: Amazon sword plant — Echinodorus grisebachii.
Echinodorus horizontalis, Echinodorus longiscapus, Echinodorus martii.
Echinodorus cordifolius schlueteri, “Leopard”, “Ovalis”, “Marble Queen”. 
