Aponogeton rigidifolius
Encyclopedia
Aponogeton rigidifolius is native to Sri Lanka
. In the wild it grows in deep water at temperatures of 68 to 77F (20 - 25C) in sandy soil with the water pH at 7.2.
is cylindrical and about .5 inch (1cm) thick. The leaves
stay submerse, are firm (almost leather-like and seem immune to most fish and snails) about 8 to 23 inches long (20 - 60cm) and 1 to 1.6 inches wide (2.5 - 4cm). The margins of the leaves are flat to slightly undulate with a distinct midrib. In colour they are a dark green to reddish colour. The inflorescence
has a single spike with white flower
s and small fruit
s.
is unique amongst the Aponogetons in having an elongated rhizome
rather than a tuber which creeps along the surface and from which new leaves sprout. This rhizome can be divided. It needs no rest period but is slow growing, though tough once established. It needs only a moderate light, tropical temperatures, and will tolerate harder water than most other Aponogetons. It is not commonly available but a good plant for the middle to background of an aquarium
. It flowers rarely in aquariums.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. In the wild it grows in deep water at temperatures of 68 to 77F (20 - 25C) in sandy soil with the water pH at 7.2.
Description
The creeping rhizomeRhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
is cylindrical and about .5 inch (1cm) thick. The leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
stay submerse, are firm (almost leather-like and seem immune to most fish and snails) about 8 to 23 inches long (20 - 60cm) and 1 to 1.6 inches wide (2.5 - 4cm). The margins of the leaves are flat to slightly undulate with a distinct midrib. In colour they are a dark green to reddish colour. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
has a single spike with white flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s and small fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
s.
Cultivation and uses
This speciesSpecies
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
is unique amongst the Aponogetons in having an elongated rhizome
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
rather than a tuber which creeps along the surface and from which new leaves sprout. This rhizome can be divided. It needs no rest period but is slow growing, though tough once established. It needs only a moderate light, tropical temperatures, and will tolerate harder water than most other Aponogetons. It is not commonly available but a good plant for the middle to background of an aquarium
Aquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
. It flowers rarely in aquariums.