Bolbitis heudelotii
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| Bolbitis heudelotii | ||||||||||||||
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| Bolbitis heudelotii (Bory ex Fée) Alston |
Contents |
[edit] Common names
African Water Fern, Creeping Fern, Congo Fern
[edit] Origin
tropical and subtropical Africa, from Ethiopia west to Senegal and south to northern South Africa.[1]
[edit] Description
It is an aquatic fern growing submerged in rivers and streams, attached to rocks or wood by its rhizomes. It has dark green, pinnate leaves 15-40 cm long and 15-25 cm broad. The water in its native habitat is fast-moving over sandy or rocky bottoms, very clean not very hard and slightly acidic. The roots cling to rocks and the sandy beds. It grows submerged.
[edit] Cultivation
A rather demanding plant in the aquarium. It requires water temperatures of 20-28 °C, moderately acidic ('soft') to neutral water with a pH range of 5.0-7.0, and tolerates a wide range of light levels. It does best in flowing water.[2][3][4]
This species is often used as a midground specimen freshwater plant in tropical aquaria. Propagation is from by cuttings from the rhizome.[5]
It seems to be intolerant to being crowded and to fish excreta.[6] It is best grown secured to a piece of wood rather than planted direct in the substrate. Additional CO2 seems to boost growth and it grows best in a rather shady position. Slow growing.
Propagation is by division of the rhizome.
[edit] References
- ^ Germplasm Resources Information Network: Bolbitis heudelotii
- ^ Tropica: Bolbitis heudelotii
- ^ Vumba Nature Reserve: Fern list
- ^ FNZAS: Bolbitis heudelotii
- ^ Hiscock, P. (2003). Encyclopedia of Aquarium Plants Interpret Publishing, United States and Canada ISBN 0-7641-5521-0
- ^ Schmidt, Dr Jurgen, P. (2002). Aquarium Plants Interpret Publishing, UK ISBN 1-84286-034-8
