Help ID'ing stem plant

[Charose]

So I received a mystery stem plant a few months back, it was suggested to be Limnophila sessiflora, but I think it's probably a Myriophyllum of some sort. Could be hornwort, but I think it's more frilly than hornwort I've seen. Anyone know what it is exactly? It grows super well.

[Daniel]

It looks like Cabomba.

[ChefConfit]

Did you receive it as a clipping in a bag of shrimp? I bought shrimp off reddit and got a clipping of a plant that looks the same. I was told it's cabomba, I planted it and it's growing well. (unfortunately the shrimp did not like my water and didn't last) 

[Charose]

6 hours ago, Daniel said:

It looks like Cabomba.

It does, but the leaves are twice as long as my other cabombas, I have c. furcate and c. green in the same tank actually. It also grows differently, lots of side shoots and spreads under the soil, when trimmed it hasn't grown from the root nodes but instead grows a new side shoot elsewhere. 

[Charose]

6 hours ago, ChefConfit said:

Did you receive it as a clipping in a bag of shrimp? I bought shrimp off reddit and got a clipping of a plant that looks the same. I was told it's cabomba, I planted it and it's growing well. (unfortunately the shrimp did not like my water and didn't last) 

No, it's from a plant distributor actually. 

[Daniel]

20 minutes ago, Charose said:

It does, but the leaves are twice as long as my other cabombas, I have c. furcate and c. green in the same tank actually. It also grows differently, lots of side shoots and spreads under the soil, when trimmed it hasn't grown from the root nodes but instead grows a new side shoot elsewhere. 

Maybe your first guess on hornwort was correct after all. The only hornwort I ever see is Ceratophyllum demersum. But there is another species of hornwort that looks just like your plant called Ceratophyllum submersum.

What do you think?

It is native to Europe.

[Jollypop4321]

Definitely not combaba.  I have both in my tanks. Looks like horn wart to me

it grows  credibly fast and needs regular trimmings to keep it in order   Best thing of all is those trimmings make new plants if you float,or plant them

 

 

[Charose]

22 hours ago, Daniel said:

Maybe your first guess on hornwort was correct after all. The only hornwort I ever see is Ceratophyllum demersum. But there is another species of hornwort that looks just like your plant called Ceratophyllum submersum.

What do you think?

It is native to Europe.

That's a great write-up, is this from 'aquatic plants of the southeastern usa' book? 

I think it could be also be C. muricatum from these descriptions. Here's a close look at a leaf.

[Daniel]

11 minutes ago, Charose said:

That's a great write-up, is this from 'aquatic plants of the southeastern usa' book?

Yes, this was the book.

[Taco]

Looks like myrio to me.

I've Been actually researching myriophyllum lately and this seems to look like it.

Love the fluffiness of the plant plus I've been reading that they grow really quick.

Lots of different types but this one looks like the common named "frill" or "foxtail" myrio.

[Daniel]

49 minutes ago, Charose said:

I think it could be also be C. muricatum from these descriptions. Here's a close look at a leaf.

Well at least we have narrowed it down to C. submersum or C. muricatum. According to the authors, hornwort is particularly difficult to key out and without seeds it is almost impossible to know for sure.

The really cool thing is though is that it is not C. demersum, which is what you normally see.

[Charose]

48 minutes ago, Daniel said:

Yes, this was the book.

I'd love to get my hands on that book, lots of ditches around me in Charleston county have interesting looking plants in them

 

[Charose]

16 minutes ago, Taco said:

Looks like myrio to me.

I've Been actually researching myriophyllum lately and this seems to look like it.

Love the fluffiness of the plant plus I've been reading that they grow really quick.

Lots of different types but this one looks like the common named "frill" or "foxtail" myrio.

It does grow similarly to some myrio pics I've seen, but I can't get a good look at the leaves. I feel like they're more symmetrical than those on my plant.

[Charose]

Here's another leaf 

 

[Daniel]

Does your leaf have 'horns' on it? Like this?

You will have to look real close to tell.

[Charose]

44 minutes ago, Daniel said:

Does your leaf have 'horns' on it? Like this?

You will have to look real close to tell.

look smooth to me

[Daniel]

Okay, I just shot this photo of C. demersum. One thing about hornwort, if it doesn't have horns, it isn't hornwort.

This plant definitely has horns.

I can't tell from your photo if yours does.

[Daniel]

Maybe I should have listened to @Taco🙂

[Alison]

 Ambulia of some sort? I just bought a plant that looks really similar to that from my lfs and that's how it was labled.

 

[Charose]

Having a hard time finding good pictures of myriophyllum leaves to compare to my plant's, but definitely could be Myriophyllum 'Guyana' or Myriophyllum green. @Daniel any info in your aquatic plant book on myriophyllum?

[Daniel]

It didn't strike me as a Myriophyllum, but hey, there are a lot of different kinds of Myriophyllum. Here is what the book says:

And my book cover the southeastern United States. That leaves a lot of areas uncovered!

And my book cover the southeastern United States. That leaves a lot uncovered!

 

[Charose]

18 minutes ago, Alison said:

 Ambulia of some sort? I just bought a plant that looks really similar to that from my lfs and that's how it was labled.

 

Haha, see that's what I was told it probably was from the seller, ambulia is now named Limnophila sessiliflora, but they weren't positive and I've grown skeptical because of the leaf shape. From what I know about limnophila it looks and grows identical to cabomba. Could you please post a picture of a leaf from your plant?

[Daniel]

5 minutes ago, Charose said:

Haha, see that's what I was told it probably was from the seller, ambulia is now named Limnophila sessiliflora, but they weren't positive and I've grown skeptical because of the leaf shape. From what I know about limnophila it looks and grows identical to cabomba. Could you please post a picture of a leaf from your plant?

Book says submersed leaves of Limnophila look like Cabomba.

Close up on leaves.

 

I think if I post anymore from Godfey and Wooten somebody needs to buy another book. 🙂

[Alison]

19 minutes ago, Charose said:

Haha, see that's what I was told it probably was from the seller, ambulia is now named Limnophila sessiliflora, but they weren't positive and I've grown skeptical because of the leaf shape. From what I know about limnophila it looks and grows identical to cabomba. Could you please post a picture of a leaf from your plant?

The first one is what  I was sold as ambulia and the second is a close up of my hornwort.

[Charose]

@Alison for the win! 99% sure we have the same plant, so it indeed is Limnophila sessiliflora. Thanks for sending the picture of yours, I was certain you reposted a pic of mine at first. The number of leafs per node is telling, ~10 and the branching patterns are the same on the leaves. 

Thanks for all the textbook smarts @Daniel and everyone else who chimed in.