Aponogeton crispus

by Twyla Lindstrom-Peters
From "Fins & Friends" Regina Aquarium Society, Canada
Aquarticles

The Aponogeton crispus, or ruffled sword plant is native to central Sri Lanka. It grows in clear 20-100 cm. deep, still or running water. It is quite hardy and fast growing. It tolerates a wide range of light, water conditions and growing media. It withstands catfish scurrying, small-fish nibbling and snail infestations. It is also unusual in that it will grow almost continuously without the characteristic rest period of other Aponogeton species.

It has a fibrous, cylindrical rhizome (up to 20 cm. in diameter). The leaves are brittle looking, long, narrow lance shaped with a ruffled outer margin. Leaves are dark green to reddish brown. It doesn't develop floating leaves and maximum size is about 25 cm. It can be rooted in gravel or potted with sterile potting soil.

Propagation of this Aponogeton is usually by seed, however I have had mine split at the rhizome. The flower stalk starts out conical in appearance on a slender stem. It grows quickly and emerges from the water. It blooms from the base to the tip over a few days, shedding a thin dry film as it opens. The long (about 30+cm.) vertical inflorescence consists of a thin stalk covered on the distal 8-16 cm with numerous tiny white or pink flowers. It has a nice, sweet chamomile-like scent.

The flower lasts between one and two weeks. Seed pods form along the stalk following pollination. (A feather brushed along the flower on several different days may achieve pollination.) Germination can be achieved by placing seeds in a 4 - 6 cm. shallow tray and covering seeds with water (room temp.). Seeds should germinate anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Two tiny leaves will emerge first, followed by roots. When roots are a little developed, young plants can be transferred to another tray with a bed of sterile peat moss covered with a few inches of water.

A. crispus is a heavy feeder and thrives in a "well established" tank. Temperatures should be between 20-30 degrees C.

It is readily available in shops at reasonable prices. It is often hybridised with other species such as A. undulatus and marketed as A.crispus. Hybrids are often sterile but can still be very attractive plants.

Propagating Aponogeton crispus

by Shara-Lee Schneider
From "Fins & Friends" Regina Aquarium Society, Canada
Aquarticles

On one of my regular outings to pet stores in search for something new and interesting, I came upon a tank with flowering Aponogetons. They were sold as undulatus, but I've learned since that undulatus rarely flowers. It would be safe to assume that by the color of the flower, the leaf size, the fact that it was a single flower; that it was a crispus . I took two plants home and planted them in my 55 gallon tank. Once planted, the whole plant including the flower were underwater.

I noticed about two weeks later that one flower had turned to seed. I snipped it off and placed it on the tank to dry for about one week. Then I took off the seeds and placed them in a container on top of a tank, where I am using an elbow lamp, so the seeds were getting a fair amount of light. I noticed that the seeds were growing about three days later. Once the seeds had two shoots, I moved them to a container that had 1" of peat moss and 2 1/2" of water.

When the new plant had four leaves I planted it in a pot filled with peat moss covered with gravel, and put it in an unheated tank with fluorescent light. I had one plant survive and it is doing well, but growing slowly.  There are many different ways to grow seeds:  this is just one way I've tried with marginal success.