Different forms of Water Wisteria

[Patrick_G]

Occasionally the topic of Water Wisteria comes. It’s supposed to have different shaped leaves in emersed form and submerged form. I have a tank full of submerged but three different leaf shapes including two different shapes on one plant. 
Same Plant

Different Plant

 

[Odd Duck]

On 9/6/2021 at 11:52 AM, Patrick_G said:

Occasionally the topic of Water Wisteria comes. It’s supposed to have different shaped leaves in emersed form and submerged form. I have a tank full of submerged but three different leaf shapes including two different shapes on one plant. 
Same Plant

Different Plant

 

You’ve got some tweeners, there, you know that awkward stage that typically hits people somewhere around 12-13 years old where that can’t quite make up their mind about what and who they want to be?

[eatyourpeas]

On 9/6/2021 at 11:45 AM, Odd Duck said:

You’ve got some tweeners, there, you know that awkward stage that typically hits people somewhere around 12-13 years old where that can’t quite make up their mind about what and who they want to be?

Great! Just when I thought I was done with that drama! I just ordered some WW from the Coop, so should I have a hormone-proof tank for them to go in?

[Odd Duck]

On 9/6/2021 at 1:50 PM, eatyourpeas said:

Great! Just when I thought I was done with that drama! I just ordered some WW from the Coop, so should I have a hormone-proof tank for them to go in?

You should consider it.  Make sure there’s nothing breakable in the tank, you never know when they might throw a tantrum.

[eatyourpeas]

On 9/6/2021 at 11:53 AM, Odd Duck said:

You should consider it.  Make sure there’s nothing breakable in the tank, you never know when they might throw a tantrum.

I shall remove breakables and sharp objects! Do they talk back and give you attitude as well? I can wrap the tank in soundproof material!

[Odd Duck]

On 9/6/2021 at 1:55 PM, eatyourpeas said:

I shall remove breakables and sharp objects! Do they talk back and give you attitude as well? I can wrap the tank in soundproof material!

Depends on whether splashing sounds are irritating or soothing for you.  Maybe keep them in a different room so you can still sleep at night.

[eatyourpeas]

On 9/6/2021 at 12:00 PM, Odd Duck said:

Depends on whether splashing sounds are irritating or soothing for you.  Maybe keep them in a different room so you can still sleep at night.

My whole house splashes!

[Odd Duck]

On 9/6/2021 at 2:02 PM, eatyourpeas said:

My whole house splashes!

Then you’ll be just fine!  😆 🤣  And same!

Edited September 6, 2021 by Odd Duck

[Patrick_G]

You folks are killing me! 😂

[Tihshho]

You're going to hear The Cure coming from inside the shaded parts of the tank soon enough!

[Guppysnail]

On your first picture it really looks like wisteria and sprite. I got some at my lfs and they once had a wisteria and sprite potted together. My first pic is new submerged wisteria sprouts from leafless broken stems. The second is a coop water sprite piece that broke off. The third is a sadly dying submerged older growth wisteria. Is this possibly why you have 3 leaf types?

[Patrick_G]

@Guppysnail, the first pic is a new shoot from a six month old fully converted plant. The sad Sprite next to it is about four months old. I’m just bad at growing it! 

[Patrick_G]

On 9/6/2021 at 1:56 PM, Tihshho said:

You're going to hear The Cure coming from inside the shaded parts of the tank soon enough!

Are you saying my fish went to high school in the ‘80s? 😀

[Tihshho]

On 9/7/2021 at 11:46 AM, Patrick_G said:

Are you saying my fish went to high school in the ‘80s? 😀

Classics never die...

[Patrick_G]

@Tihshho got me looking into the Wisteria thing. They get naming rights if there is indeed a second variety. 😀

[Tihshho]

This has been around for so long that I think there is a chance it's misidentified. I don't know the scientific names off the top of my head, but I remember seeing these marketed under different common names such as water sprite (spindly one) and water wisteria or wisteria (broader leaved one.)

[JettsPapa]

On 9/7/2021 at 10:45 AM, Patrick_G said:

@Guppysnail, the first pic is a new shoot from a six month old fully converted plant. The sad Sprite next to it is about four months old. I’m just bad at growing it! 

Try letting it float.  Mine struggles planted also, but a piece broke off and floated to the top in my 65 gallon tank.  Before I realized it that piece had turned into a full plant, and made several more.  Similar to water wisteria, it will grow a new plant from just a single leaf.

[Guppysnail]

On 9/7/2021 at 2:17 PM, JettsPapa said:

Try letting it float.  Mine struggles planted also, but a piece broke off and floated to the top in my 65 gallon tank.  Before I realized it that piece had turned into a full plant, and made several more.  Similar to water wisteria, it will grow a new plant from just a single leaf.

Yeah mine die break apart then float then grow too.

[Tanked]

On 9/7/2021 at 2:17 PM, JettsPapa said:

Try letting it float.  Mine struggles planted also, but a piece broke off and floated to the top in my 65 gallon tank.  Before I realized it that piece had turned into a full plant, and made several more.  Similar to water wisteria, it will grow a new plant from just a single leaf.

Two new things that WW has taught me recently: you can get a whole plant from a dying leaf,  and you get the emersed leaf no matter what.  

Water Sprite was one of my first recommended beginner plants. I couldn't keep it alive floating or otherwise.  I have always thought it was just to delicate to keep with the rampaging zebras

[Patrick_G]

On 9/7/2021 at 11:17 AM, JettsPapa said:

Try letting it float.  Mine struggles planted also, but a piece broke off and floated to the top in my 65 gallon tank.  Before I realized it that piece had turned into a full plant, and made several more.  Similar to water wisteria, it will grow a new plant from just a single leaf.

Yup, good idea! I actually have decent luck getting it to grow floating on the surface. It’s just the planted ones that struggle. 

[Patrick_G]

On 9/11/2021 at 1:10 PM, Tanked said:

Two new things that WW has taught me recently: you can get a whole plant from a dying leaf,  and you get the emersed leaf no matter what.  

I guess that’s why it’s called Difformis

difformis,-e (adj.B): deformed, irregularly or unevenly or differently formed, unlike what is usual; of unusual formation or shape, misshapen; “deformed; unusual formation” (Lindley); “of unusual formation or shape” (Jackson); “of unusual form in relation to the normal run of the genus” (Stearn 1996) + dative [> L. difformis, dis- ‘apart’ + forma,-ae, ‘shape;’ see deformis,-e (adj.B); opp. conformis,-e (adj.B) q.v., similar to + dative.  

“not conforming to the type; dissimilar in shape or other ways to related species” (Stearn 1996);  

Difform (Eng.adj.), different forms; “used to express irregularity” (Paxton);