Hygrophila pinnatifida | Aquatic Plant

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Category: Aquatic Plants Tag: Hygrophila pinnatifida

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Hygrophila pinnatifida, originating from India, features distinctive lobed leaves in the aquarium. These leaves exhibit an olive green hue, with a leathery brown to brownish-red upper side adorned with a light yellow pattern, while the underside displays a wine-red coloration. The plant produces horizontal lateral shoots that develop roots, allowing them to attach to rocks or driftwood. Although it has only been cultivated in aquaria since 2008, it has rapidly gained popularity due to its versatile applications in aquascaping.

Regular trimming of the top shoots helps maintain the plant’s compact growth habit. Left untrimmed, the stems grow tall and upright, with elongated leaves. Planting Hygrophila pinnatifida in small groups in front of a serene background enhances its growth pattern and coloration, making it a captivating focal point in the aquarium.

Hygrophila pinnatifida is a rare aquatic plant native to India, primarily found along rivulets in the western coastal regions at the base of the Western Ghats, including Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu. Additionally, documented findings of this plant exist in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

Although H. pinnatifida has been known to science for over 150 years, it only gained attention as an aquarium plant in early 2008. As of 2010, it remains relatively uncommon in the hobby, but several large aquatic plant nurseries have started including it in their product offerings as a novelty.

This plant distinguishes itself from previously kept Hygrophila species in several ways. Its emersed and submersed leaves are deeply lobed or divided, adding to its decorative appeal. Submersed leaves exhibit a unique coloration, resembling certain Cryptocoryne species, with brown to olive-green upper sides featuring a light yellowish pattern along the lateral veins, and a burgundy-red underside.

When grown submersed, H. pinnatifida develops both upright and creeping shoots, the latter of which can attach to rocks or driftwood using their roots. At the end of these shoots, upright sprouts emerge, forming rosette-like clusters. The stems are tough and brown in color.

H. pinnatifida thrives under moderate light but benefits from higher intensity lighting for more compact growth. Regularly pruning the shoot tips helps maintain this compact form. Adequate nutrient and CO2 levels are essential, with potassium deficiency leading to small holes in older leaves. The substrate type appears less critical, as the plant forms a shallow root system that readily attaches to sand or gravel grains.

Propagation is most successful using lateral shoots rather than top shoot cuttings. Plants with established roots or those grown emersed tend to adapt faster to aquarium conditions. Growth rates vary based on environmental factors, with intensive lighting and nutrient supplementation promoting rapid growth, potentially reaching the water surface.

In emersed cultivation, H. pinnatifida grows upright with glandular hairs, producing wider, shorter leaves than its submerged form. Under daylight conditions, flowering mainly occurs in spring.

For aquascaping, planting H. pinnatifida in small groups in the midground against a calm background showcases its unique leaf form and pattern. Its fern-like growth habit becomes apparent, especially when growing in rosette-like clusters. Low-growing plantlets can be grouped in the foreground. However, its darker coloration may be overshadowed by neighboring plants with brighter, more intense red hues.

H. pinnatifida offers additional possibilities for aquascaping, particularly its ability to attach to rocks or driftwood, which remain to be fully explored.

Here’s the revised version of the detailed information about the aquatic plant Hygrophila pinnatifida:

Synonyms: Nomaphila pinnatifida Dalzell, Cardanthera pinnatifida (Dalzell) Benth. ex C.B.Clarke.
Complete Botanical Name: Hygrophila pinnatifida (Dalzell) Sreem.
Family: Acanthaceae
Genus: Hygrophila
Difficulty: Medium
Usage: Epiphyte (growing on hardscape), Semi-emersed plant for open tanks, Midground, Foreground, group
Height: 5 – 40cm
Width: 10 – 30cm
Growth: Medium
pH Value: 5 – 8
Temperature Tolerance: 18 – 28°C
Carbonate Hardness: 2 – 12°dKH
General Hardness: 0 – 30°dGH
Propagation: Runners, Proliferating leaves, Cuttings, Splitting, cutting off daughter plants
Can Grow Emersed? Yes
Source: Flowgrow

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Hygrophila pinnatifida | Aquatic Plant

Here’s the revised version of the detailed information about the aquatic plant Hygrophila pinnatifida:

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