2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Vallisneria is a luxurious submerged aquatic inhabitant that thrives on numerous lakes and rivers. Most often, it can be found in subtropical and tropical fresh water bodies of both the Eastern Hemisphere and the Western. And on the territory of Russia there is only one single variety of this plant - spiral vallisneria. Aquarists simply adore Vallisneria, and it’s not in vain - it pleases the eye with its wonderful appearance, making almost no requirements for the conditions of detention
Getting to know the plant
Vallisneria is a luxurious representative of a family called Vodokrasovye. It is endowed with creeping, thin and rather long rhizomes, and its stems, equipped with rosette-like leaves, are strengthened in the soil near the mother bushes with the help of an impressive length of powerful shoots.
The leaves of the beautiful Vallisneria are rather soft, they can be either reddish or bright green. They are usually completely submerged in water. The leaves are whole-edged or finely serrated at the tops along the edges. In the basal rosettes, they are lanceolate or ribbon-like linear, and at the bases they can sometimes even be heart-shaped. Also, sometimes there are branched developed stems with successive leaves, which are sometimes whorled and equipped with axillary small scales. And the luxurious spiral Vallisneria is the owner of bizarre leaves twisting in spirals. The length of its unusual leaves can reach one meter. In most of the varieties of Vallisneria, the leaves, reaching the water surface, begin to creep along it and flutter beautifully in a playful current. This feature distinguishes this aquatic inhabitant from rather amusing arrowheads.
Vallisneria is a dioecious plant: on some plants, female flowers are formed, on others, male ones. Flowers can be both very nondescript and small, and large, protruding above the water surface and with conspicuous perianths. All flowers either form semi-umbrellas or are single.
Using vallisneria
This aquatic beauty has always attracted avid aquarists with its unpretentiousness and beauty. Vallisneria is one of the most popular aquatic species used for growing in aquariums. Basically, it is planted in compact groups in the corners of aquariums and in the middle or background.
How to grow
The wonderful Vallisneria can reproduce by seeds or vegetatively, and vegetatively its reproduction is incredibly fast. On tender shoots slightly buried in the soil or creeping along the soil surface, tiny buds are formed, which after some time are transformed into small daughter plants. Rooting quickly in the soil, they release tiny cuttings for new young plants. Under favorable conditions, a wonderful plant in just one year is able to form about fifty new bushes.
The content of the amazing Vallisneria is very unpretentious. It does not impose any requirements on the chemical composition of water, it can withstand even too sharp temperature fluctuations without much difficulty, and grows equally well not only under natural but also under artificial lighting. Here are just an excess of copper Vallisnerium can not stand. And this element can get into aquariums with agents that kill various mollusks and algae, as well as with drugs for the treatment of fish. The beautiful Vallisneria can also die if there is rust (or iron oxide) in the water - this information should be taken into account by all owners of frame aquariums equipped with steel corners.
The most optimal temperature for the favorable content of Vallisneria will be 24 - 28 degrees. If the thermometer drops below 18 - 20 degrees, then its growth begins to slow down. It is better to prefer the soils not poor, but nutritious (vallisneria develops much better in them), and soft water, which does not need constant replacement.
Periodically, the thickets of this aquatic beauty should be thinned out, since the leaves floating in excess can shade the aquarium quite strongly. Only the leaves should in no case be trimmed - turning yellow in the places of the cuts, they will begin to slowly rot.
Recommended:
Favorite Goats
Breeding goats on a private farm is a very exciting and rewarding business. Goats are interesting and peculiar animals. They are quite unpretentious and undemanding to the conditions of their keeping, so keeping goats is not at all troublesome
Favorite White Color
Outside the window, drizzling sweeps up rare remnants of bare plant stems, as if trying to dust our memory of summer. But white flakes of snow softly fall on the spreading paws of the spruce, dressing up the garden in white clothes, visually increasing its size, giving rise to a feeling of freedom and lightness. The same lightness and whiteness can be given to a summer garden by planting plants with white flowers in it
Chlorophytum Is A Favorite Houseplant Of Flower Growers
In Russia, chlorophytum has long become a favorite indoor plant of many flower growers. In natural conditions, such a plant can be found in different parts of the world, including Asia and America. Chlorophytum grows very well in apartments and houses, requiring little effort
Traditions Of Folk Festivals, Suvorov's Favorite Carousels And Moscow In The Cinema: 30 Free Excursions Will Take Place At The Moscow Maslenitsa Festival
Very soon a large-scale festival "Moscow Maslenitsa" will start in the capital: it will be held from February 21 to March 1. At venues throughout the city, we will treat ourselves to pancakes, watch performances, participate in folk amusements and fascinating craft and culinary master classes. The excursion program will help the guests of the festival to get into the festive atmosphere and get to know the history of their beloved city
Fragrant Raspberries - A Favorite Of Decorators
Most gardeners associate the word "raspberry" with the garden bushes, loved by everyone since childhood. It turns out that there are decorative varieties of a culture that is pleasant in all respects. What is a fragrant relative of a garden beauty?
