Aquatic Plant Encyclopedia

A Cameroonian aquatic plant that grows long, narrow, crinkled dark green ribbon leaves from a small bulb. Leaves reach 40–120 cm in aquaria and stream in the current. Slow but tough, and herbivorous fish leave it alone.

A variety of Anubias barteri with elliptic to narrowly lanceolate leaves, slimmer than the rounded nana or var. barteri. Also traded as 'minima' or 'lanceolata'. Very tough and happy in shade.

A large Anubias carrying elliptic to lanceolate leathery blades on long petioles, the margins often somewhat wavy. Naturally a marsh plant, it grows permanently submerged too, staying smaller than on land.

A large Sri Lankan aquatic plant that grows a rosette of long, wavy-edged leaves from a tuber. It needs no dormant period in aquaria and often flowers, but its leaves can reach the surface, so it suits larger tanks.

The classic goldfish weed (Japanese name Ōkanadamo), with narrow leaves in whorls of three to six at each node. It tolerates cold and poor water and grows even floating loose. Naturalised in rivers and lakes across Japan and listed as a Priority Control Alien Species.

A Cryptocoryne with narrow lanceolate leaves and gently wavy margins. Both a green form and a 'Brown' form with red-brown, darkly feather-marked leaves are traded. It tolerates low light and combines easily with other plants.

A Sri Lankan Cryptocoryne with pointed olive-brown to green leaves and purplish undersides. Grown for over 60 years, it adapts to soft or hard water and forms bushy stands by runners.

A fairly large Sumatran Cryptocoryne with broad, heart-shaped leaves, often brownish to faintly violet beneath and slightly hammered. It rarely suffers crypt melt and can stand in for Anubias.

A hybrid sword plant with elliptical black spots on red-brown leaves. The spots are darkest on young leaves and, unlike many spotted swords, persist even in low light. Hardy and suitable for beginners.

A Java fern cultivar whose leaf tips fork repeatedly into fine tufts. Named after the founder of a Danish aquatic plant nursery, it entered the trade in 1994 and forms bushy clumps about 10–20 cm tall.

A tough, slow-growing stem plant with thick oval leaves in opposite pairs. Crushed leaves smell of lemon, and under strong light the leaves take on a bronze to reddish-brown tint.

A small plant with leaves about 1.5 mm wide that spreads by runners into a foreground lawn. Best known by its old name Echinodorus tenellus. It reddens in strong light; a 'Green' form that stays green is also sold.

A tropical Asian floating fern whose velvety, light green floating leaves curl up like boats or hoods. Well grown it forms thick cushions; under poor conditions the leaves lie flat.

A Brazilian stem plant with narrow, bright green lanceolate leaves that branches freely into a bush. Easily trimmed to any height, it works from foreground to background, and shoots reaching the surface bear small blue flowers.