plant Easy level

Pontederia azurea (Sw.) Kunth

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Anchored water hyacinth

Pontederia azurea is a very attractive waterplant. It forms dense floating carpets of several metre-long shoots with emersed spoon-shaped leaves and beautiful white, purple or azure blue flowers on stagnant and flowing waters.

Distribution: It is widely spread in the American tropics and subtropics, from the South of the USA to Argentine.

Introduced into: Bangladesh, Florida

Submitted by
Benedetta Spelta
GPS
-15.3842754, -60.1234016
Geographical region
South America
Drainage Basin
Paraná
River catchment
Water body type
Lagoon
Water body name
Baia Grande near Vila Bela da Santíssima Trindade
Water body part
Marsh land
Water body course
Water body: tributary of
Wetland
Tributary name
Pantanal
Type locality
Brazil
Conservation status/IUCN Red List
Not Evaluated (NE)
Listed in CITES
No

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Water Chemistry

Water information

Water type
Fresh water
Water color
Clear water
Water transparency
Low
Concentration of sediments
High
Water temperature
6-33 °C
Water flow/curent
Slow

Chemical parameters

pH
6.0-8.0
Conductivity
GH
max. 10.0 mg/l
KH
Dissolved Oxygen

Phytology

Plant form
Semi-submersed
Plant type
Stem
Plant size
50 cm
Plant growth rate
Plant light demand
Medium
CO2
Low
Aquarium equipment

This plant can be used as eemi-emersed plant for open tanks, or in the background or midground of an aquarium. Also, can be used as water surface plant. This species is most suitable for tanks with a height of 50 and more.

Plant care

This kind of planting is not without difficulties, however, as the submersed shoots grow to a width of at least 20 cm, and thus need lots of room, and because the very fragile submersed leaves must not be squeezed when they are planted, or else they turn blackish.

The plant can be far better integrated into a design as a solitaire. Propagation is easily done by head cuttings. Also, this plant needs ample amounts of nutrients, or the leaves tend to turn blackish at the bottom.

Water care

This plant is adapt to a very large range of temperature (18-28°C) and pH (5.5-8.5).

Bibliography