Description
The "Mexican Sword" is also known as Echinodorus palaefolius and erroneously as "E. rigidifolius" and "E. argentinensis". It is a big, vigorous swamp plant from the hot areas of central and eastern Brazil. In the emergent form, the leaves are spoon-shaped and long stalked. The submerged leaves are lanceolate and freshly green. This species is closely related to Echinodorus subalatus that develops narrower, lanceolate emersed leaves.
Echinodorus palifolius is an undemanding, fast growing plant that copes well with higher temperatures beyond 25℃. Smaller plants grow well under water, but with time also floating and emersed leaves will appear. After removing them the plant will develop submerged foliage again.
This sword plant wild type is especially recommendable as emergent plant for open tanks and tall paludaria where it can develop its full potential and also comes to blossom. The overhanging inflorescences produce small white flowers and many adventitious plantlets that can be detached for propagation.
Characteristic
Also known as Echinodorus palaefolius
Tropical water plantain from South America
Especially suitable for open tanks
Submerged leaves lanceolate and freshly green
Category
Middle Ground
