Lilaeopsis macloviana

[Ariel301]

I got a coupon from Petco for taking a survey, so I went in to use it, and they had a few nice looking plants. I picked out this potted plant that was in with the swords without a label, thinking it was an unusual sword of some kind, and it turns out I've got lilaeopsis macloviana. I've never seen this one before, and was wondering if anyone else has it? Any tips on growing it?

It's a great looking plant; there were three big pieces of it in the pot, all with runners on them.

[Ariel301]

While doing a little more trimming up on it, I found what I think is a flower bud. Do these flower underwater, or is this one going to shoot a stem up out of the water to flower? Either way is fine, but knowing what it's going to do will help me decide on placement.

[lauraleellbp]

I'd never heard of this variety, I had to research it.

Based on my experience with swords, I'd say the flowering depends on whether the plant you have now was grown emersed or submerged. Swords can produce flowers either way, but the two flowers (emersed vs submerged flowers) look and behave differently.

Can you post some pics?

[Church]

I grew it a long time ago. It's got skinnier leaves than brasiliensis, and it grows much slower (in my experience, but it was a long time ago). I don't believe it flowers underwater, and chances are Petco gets their plants in emersed form, as most LFS's do.

It's very nice looking, and noticeably different from regular microsword, so it's worth keeping around. Hopefully you can provide it some good co2 and light.

[Ariel301]

I had a hard time finding anything on it. I don't think it's the emersed form, but it may be. It does look just like regular microsword, only tall. This one is about seven inches tall right now, and I assume it will get taller. It has runners on it with baby plants, so I am getting those rooted down into the substrate to get more of them growing. I think it must have just come in to Petco that day, because it actually looked healthy in their lightless plant tank!

Yes, I've got good light and CO2 going on it, and gave it some root tabs, and it's already shooting out new leaves left and right. It seems to be a fast grower. At the rate it's going, I may be offering some of this to others before the end of the year.

Here's a blurry shot of it right after I got it home. I'll get some better ones with the good camera later on.

[Church]

No, it's tall because it is in its emersed form. That's my opinion anyway. If you supply it with sufficient lighting and CO2, it will grow much shorter leaves. Then you can just give it a haircut and the old, tall leaves will be gone for good.

Here's a picture I took of it, and mind you, this was a long time ago, so please excuse the attempt at an "aquascape":



You can see it in the front there. This is a standard 10g, so you can have a sense of scale. The macloviana stayed short, it just grew much slower than brasiliensis does for me. I'd like to give it another try some day, actually, now that I'm no longer a noob!

This tank had DIY CO2 and 2 x 26w spiral fluorescents.

[Ariel301]

Hey, that's not such a bad job at aquascaping!

All the pictures I found of it online showed it underwater with the tall leaves. I had a hard time finding anything about it though; it took me a couple of hours of research to even identify what it was. Is this plant not kept very commonly?

[Church]

I don't know then, maybe it was growing so slowly that I didn't keep it around long enough to see it get tall. I only kept it for like 8 months or something.

[Ariel301]

Who knows? We'll just see what this one does.

[nismo tetra]

whoa I think I have some of this too, couldn't figure out what it was. But from your pic i think it is the same. I got it from a local guy who said it was a type of sword plant. Mine had long tall leaves to. More like a stem with the leaf on the upper end of the stem. I to have a different stem growing out of it that has some kind of little bulbs on it, they have not done anything in my tank but remain there though. I have had it in my tank for about 3 weeks now and most of the older long leaves have since turned brown and have been trimmed. But a few remain nice and green. There are many new sprouts but they seem to look more like what Church has pictured. About 1-1.5 inch leaves. BUT there are a few of the stem type leaves growing in to. About 2 inches long right now. I guess only time will tell how it grows. I have root tabs under them and do regular liquid fert doses.

here it is when I first got it. Back right of picture




here is the new growth so far, you can see the original long stems still

[nismo tetra]

after doing a search of Lilaeopsis macloviana.....I don't think that is what we have pictured. Google images just bring up long hairgrass type leaves http://media.photobucket.com/image/L...acloviana1.jpg

[Ariel301]

Yeah, I was noticing that earlier today...I think it IS something else. Notice also on the picture you linked to, the leaves have horizontal 'segments' to them. Mine at least doesn't have that.

Now the question is, what is it?