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Help identifying helanthium tenellum type

MJQMJQ

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Hi I need help identifying whether this is the narrow leaved kind that will turn red or the evergeen broader leaved one.However the leaves are still switching to submerged state.
 

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Hi all, They are. Which makes things a lot easier, so definitely a member of the Alismataceae, and very likely <"Helanthium tenellum">. I don't know how you tell between cultivars.

cheers Darrel

Apparently theres a narrower version that turns red under intense light and co2 and an evergreen version that has broader leaves.Ugh
 
Echinodorus Tennelus is the narrower leafed version which can turn red under high light, Helanthium tenellum always remains green with slightly thicker leaf shape

what you have doesn't really look like either tbh but it isn't a great photo of it

see here for HT i sold a few weeks ago in one of my tanks https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/helanthium-tenellum.59047/
 
Echinodorus Tennelus is the narrower leafed version which can turn red under high light, Helanthium tenellum always remains green with slightly thicker leaf shape

what you have doesn't really look like either tbh but it isn't a great photo of it

see here for HT i sold a few weeks ago in one of my tanks https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/helanthium-tenellum.59047/
Mine is still mainly in emersed form.I think I got the one thats evergeen.Plant beside them is lilaeopsis for comparison.
 
Yea Im sorry my phone camera is bad lol.
 

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We have Helanthium tenellum tenellum from South America (Narrow leaf) and the Helanthium tenellum parvullum from North America. (Broadleaf)

The narrow-leaf tends to grow a tad taller with red colour in submersed condition. It's also a tad more difficult to grow. The Parvullum is easier and stays quite smaller submersed.

In emerged form, they are quite difficult to keep apart. Then a flower will be conclusive, the parvullum has a much smaller flower.

I'm currently growing the parvullum.

The one with the red arrow is a fully transitioned over 6 months old submerged form. NExt to one planted 2 weeks ago still in transition.
DSC_0260.jpg


From this pot.
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You can clearly see that mine has a shorter and tad broader spear formed leaf than yours. My best guess is you likely have the South American HT. But as said it can be deceiving, to be absolutely sure you would need a flower or wait till it fully transitioned. In high light and ample CO² the SA HT will have red colours in it and grow over 5cm tall. The NA HTP rarely grows taller than 5cm submersed.
 
There is aparently 2 different Helanthium tenellum:
The broader leaved, "evergreen" is Helanthium tenellum parvulum. Often sold as Helanthium tenellum 'Green' (This one has only recently gained popularity).
The narrow leaved, "newest leaf can be red-ish" is Helanthium tenellum tenellum. Often sold as Echinodorus tenellus (This is the "good old one").
There is no Echinodorus tenellus...... this plant has been botanically re-named to Helanthium tenellum.
I can't tell the two apart from your pic. but once adapted to submerse, they are quite easy to ID.
 
(This one has only recently gained popularity).

I actually remember and grew this plant from and in the early 1980s. Somewhere along the line it likely was forgotten or pushed aside in competition with its tropical variety or simply mixed up. I had to search really hard to find it back. Actually found it back by chance. The nursery i buy it from Fish4ever V.O.F. (Maybe you know them) is selling this plant misidentified as the tropical South American variety. But it is definitively not. It got mixed up i guess and some LFS don't know what they are really selling.
 
Any idea how long until it becomes fully submerged?Non co2 tank with lights on ard 8-10 hrs a day.
 
We have Helanthium tenellum tenellum from South America (Narrow leaf) and the Helanthium tenellum parvullum from North America. (Broadleaf)

The narrow-leaf tends to grow a tad taller with red colour in submersed condition. It's also a tad more difficult to grow. The Parvullum is easier and stays quite smaller submersed.

In emerged form, they are quite difficult to keep apart. Then a flower will be conclusive, the parvullum has a much smaller flower.

I'm currently growing the parvullum.

The one with the red arrow is a fully transitioned over 6 months old submerged form. NExt to one planted 2 weeks ago still in transition.
View attachment 130004

From this pot.
View attachment 130005

You can clearly see that mine has a shorter and tad broader spear formed leaf than yours. My best guess is you likely have the South American HT. But as said it can be deceiving, to be absolutely sure you would need a flower or wait till it fully transitioned. In high light and ample CO² the SA HT will have red colours in it and grow over 5cm tall. The NA HTP rarely grows taller than 5cm submersed.

Found clearer pic with flowers but still a bit low definition.
 

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