Tropical grass ammania... How much is said in these words! These are thickets of large-leaved reddish-yellow plants in subtropical latitudes, which rice growers (Senegal) are unsuccessfully fighting. And original plant branches for landscape design of indoor and outdoor reservoirs (Ammania gracilis or Ammania graceful). And an original, selectively bred, cute plant that so skillfully decorates small aquariums. In the third case, this is Ammania bonsai.
What is its charm?
Anyone who has seen small aquariums decorated with original micro-trees is lucky. The spectacle is original and pleasant. Low thick columns up to 12-15 cm, covered with dense round leaves, bright and as if with a waxy film. They are fragile and sensitive, gentle and defenseless. Very touching and cute.
Ammania sp. "Bonsai" can occupy entire areas of the ground, creating natural clearings of graceful greenery.
Ammania Senegalese is also very decorative. In addition, the front side of its leaf can change its color (from green to red) depending on the lighting.
Ammania senegalese
What conditions are necessary for life?
The microspecies of the plant requires approximately the same conditions for growth as Ammania Senegalese, as well as Ammania graceful. Water should be:
- temperatures from 22 to 27 o;
- neutral acidity (indicators within 6-7);
- with hardness ratings from 2 to 12.
At the same time, ensuring aeration and filtration is mandatory. In addition, a quarter of the water in the aquarium must be changed to fresh water at least once a week.
For successful growth, the plant will need high-quality fertilizing with special fertilizers, preferably a complex composition.
Ammania grows best on sandy soil. It is even more effective if you add river silt to it. This will help the roots become stronger and more stable in case of fish that prefer to dig up the soil at the bottom.
Another mandatory condition. This is a bright light for 10 or 12 hours. It is in this case that, for example, Ammania graceful or Ammania multiflora will acquire the most spectacular color and will retain it.
Ammania multiflora
Ammania Sulawesi plant is very capricious. The efforts of a novice aquarist are unlikely to be enough to grow it. You need knowledge and strict adherence to instructions. Required:
What are the methods of reproduction?
Ammania bonsai is able to reproduce in the following way: by splitting off a few cm of the trunk along with the top, this shoot is fixed in sandy soil and maximum rest is created for it. It is better to create an artificial temporary fence in an acceptable manner so that the plant is not exposed to aggressive fish.
Ammania Senegalese is propagated using cuttings separated from the main trunk. It is better to take young and fresh shoots. They will take longer to grow, but will be more firmly established. Cases of its propagation using seeds have also been described. But for aquarium living this is hardly possible.
Ammania graceful requires planting shoots like a ladder. Each stem should lag behind the neighboring one by at least 5-7 cm. This is necessary to ensure uniform illumination of each leaf.
Using different types of ammanias in one water composition, you can create an original and unique landscape. It will be cozy for your favorite fish, and the owner will be pleased and calm from the fact that beauty reigns around.
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The leaves of this plant range in shape from elliptical to lanceolate, up to 3 cm in length and 1 cm in width. The color of the leaves depends on the light intensity. They can be olive-shaped, pale green or pale red in color. A very popular plant, it forms a beautiful contrast with the bright green leaves. Depending on the water level in the aquarium, it can have a vertical or horizontal growth form. It can grow either completely submerged in water or in open aquariums in bright light. This plant should be planted in terraces, in loose groups. It is advisable to group them at the back of the aquarium in groups of 5-6 bushes.
In nature, Ammania grows in Senegal, Gambia and tropical Africa. The plant grows up to 20-50 cm in length. It cannot be planted in shady places, because The plant loves bright light. Regular addition of CO2 to water is advisable. The soil should be rich in nutrients, the water should be soft, with a pH of 6-7.2, and a temperature of 22-28 C.
This plant can be difficult to grow and requires a lot of attention.
Propagated by cuttings from side shoots. If the plant grows on the surface, then it can be grown from seeds. Seeds are planted in shallow aquariums. As the water level in the aquarium rises, the plant grows in length.
Ammania senegalese is most often found in nature in the vast expanses of the African continent: in Abyssinia, Lower Egypt, from Senegal to South Africa and in a number of territories in distant East Africa. As for the living conditions of this aquatic beauty, they can be absolutely anything - a humid or aquatic environment, flooded areas, rice fields and even salty soils are equally suitable for Ammania Senegalese. This amazing plant will make a great addition to almost any aquarium. Ammania Senegalese looks best in the middle ground.
Getting to know the plant
The height of the above-water stems of Ammania Senegalese often reaches forty centimeters. The stems of this aquatic resident are fleshy and bare, and the root system is not particularly well developed. The length of the leaf blades can be up to six centimeters, and their width is about one and a half centimeters. Due to the fact that the planes of the leaves are quite convex, their edges curl down slightly. And the shape of the leaves can be either lanceolate or elliptical.The inflorescences of Ammania Senegalese are not very dense and are formed by one or several flowers, up to a maximum of five. Purple flowers form in the nodules of emergent shoots. All of them are endowed with funny sessile stigmas, and they have four petals and stamens.
A distinctive feature of Ammania Senegalese is that it is characterized by both horizontal and vertical growth. That is, choosing this plant to match the water level in the aquarium will not be particularly difficult. And as the water level rises, Ammania senegalese begins to slowly grow in length.
How to grow
Ammania Senegalese is very whimsical, capricious and very light-loving to its habitat. Shady places are absolutely not suitable for its development. This beauty can be grown in small aquariums. By the way, growing it, with all its whimsicality, will not be particularly difficult - Ammania Senegalese can grow well both in open aquariums and when completely immersed in water. If you create very favorable conditions for this beauty, then it will develop at incredible speed.It is recommended to grow Ammania Senegalese in soil rich in all kinds of nutrients (sand and gravel are suitable), in fairly soft water, and also in very intense lighting, depending on which the color of the leaves of this beauty changes. In one light they will be light yellow with a slight pinkish tint, and in another they will be pink. And sometimes the leaves turn pale red or pale green. The duration of daylight hours for Ammania Senegalese should be from eight to ten hours. The most optimal temperature regime for its full development is in the range from 22 to 28 degrees. But this aquatic resident will acquire a decorative appearance only if you grow a whole group of underwater specimens.
Various nutrients should be periodically added to the soil in relatively small quantities, since Ammania Senegalese receives its main nutrition mainly from the soil.
If suddenly this luxurious plant begins to grow poorly, it is advisable to try replanting it in another place, after adding a small amount of clay under its roots. Peat is also suitable instead of clay.
The most effective propagation of Ammania Senegalese will be with the help of side shoots. In addition to cuttings, seed propagation of this aquatic inhabitant is also possible. As a rule, specimens growing on the surface are propagated using this method. The spread of this aquatic beauty should be limited periodically.
Sometimes Ammania Senegalese is compared with Ammania graceica. This is due to the fact that they really have quite a few distinctive features, and they are very similar in appearance. Moreover, the methods of their reproduction and conditions of detention are also almost identical. However, despite this, they are still different plants.
Ammania Senegalese (lat. Ammannia senegalensis)- an incredibly beautiful aquatic plant from the Derbennikov family.
Description
Ammania senegalese is an aquatic plant, the height of its above-water stems can reach forty centimeters. Its bare stems are extremely fleshy, and the root system is not very well developed. The length of the leaf blades often reaches six centimeters, and the width – up to one and a half. And since the planes of the leaves are quite convex, their edges are slightly curled downwards. As for their shape, it can be either lanceolate or elliptical.Not too dense inflorescences of Ammania Senegalese are formed by either one or several flowers, but more than five flowers are usually not found in one inflorescence. All flowers are formed in the nodules of above-water shoots, are distinguished by a pleasant purple color and are endowed with funny sessile stigmas. As for the petals and stamens, they have four each.
An important distinguishing feature of this aquatic beauty is that it can be characterized not only by vertical, but also by horizontal growth. Thus, matching it to the water level in the aquarium will not be difficult. However, as the water level rises, Ammania senegalese will slowly begin to grow in length.
Where does it grow
In nature, Ammania Senegalese can most often be found in the vast expanses of the colorful African continent: in Abyssinia or Lower Egypt, as well as in a number of territories in East Africa and in the territory from Senegal to South Africa. This aquatic beauty grows equally well in wet or aquatic environments, as well as in flooded areas, rice fields and even salty soils.Usage
Ammania senegalese is widely used for placement in aquariums - it looks especially good in the middle ground.Growing and care
This aquatic plant is very whimsical to its habitat - Ammania Senegalese is extremely capricious and very light-loving. Shady places are absolutely not suitable for its full development. But in small aquariums it is quite possible to grow Ammania Senegalese. Moreover, it will grow equally well both in open vessels and in a completely submerged state. Under favorable conditions, Ammania Senegalese generally develops at truly incredible speed.It is recommended to grow this aquatic beauty in soil enriched with all kinds of nutritional compounds (sand and gravel are equally suitable), in fairly soft water and in fairly intense lighting, depending on which the color of the leaves of the beautiful plant will change. In one light they will be light yellow with a delicate and light pinkish tint, and in another they will be deep pink. In some cases, the leaves may turn pale red or pale green. As for the duration of daylight hours for Ammania Senegalese, it should be between eight and ten hours. And the most optimal temperature regime for its proper development is considered to be the range from twenty-two to twenty-eight degrees.
In order for this aquatic inhabitant to acquire a decorative appearance, you will need to grow a whole group of underwater specimens. True, from time to time the spread of Ammania Senegalese should be limited.
Periodically, it is necessary to add all kinds of nutrients to the soil (in rather small quantities) - Ammania Senegalese receives its main nutrition mainly from the soil. And if suddenly it begins to grow poorly, it won’t hurt to try to transplant it to another place, after first adding a small amount of clay under its roots. However, peat is also suitable instead of clay.
As for the propagation of this plant, the most effective propagation will be by lateral shoots. In addition to cuttings, Ammania Senegalese can also be propagated by seeds - this method is usually used for specimens growing on the surface.
Ammania Senegalese (Ammannia senegalensis).
The height of the plant can be from twenty to sixty centimeters. A characteristic feature of this heat-loving plant is its ability to lead an above-water, underwater and partially submerged existence. The root system of Ammania Senegalese is well developed. The stem is fleshy and erect. The leaves are opposite, entire, sessile, arranged crosswise. The leaf blades growing under water are lanceolate in shape and reach a length of seven to twelve centimeters, with a width of 0.7 - 1.8 centimeters. The emergent leaves are very elegant, two to six centimeters long, and width from one to 1.8 centimeters. The shape of the emergent leaf blade is linear or obovate. Color: olive green. The height of the emergent plant is about forty centimeters.
Under favorable conditions, above-water and semi-submerged forms of Ammania bloom. The inflorescence is umbellate, simple, its main axis ends in an apical flower. If two shoots with the same flowers are formed under the apical flower of the main axis, then such an inflorescence is a simple di-chasia; if the branching of the inflorescence continues further, then we are talking about a complex di-chaz (from the Greek word dichazo - divide in two), and with further branching, the di-hasia transforms into a mono-chasia, the site emphasizes. In such inflorescences the false whorls are shortened. The inflorescence of Ammannia senegalensis is a di-hasia, numbering three or seven flowers with short pedicels; from the axils of two leaves located under the flower, two lateral branches develop, also ending in flowers.
You can keep Ammania Senegalese either in a small aquarium or in a container with a volume of one hundred to two hundred liters. Ammannia senegalensis also does well in a paludarium and in a humid greenhouse in a warm, tropical climate. The water temperature in the aquarium can vary from twenty-two to thirty degrees Celsius; permissible hardness - from two to thirteen degrees; pH level is from six to seven. Lighting for the plant should be intense; LB type fluorescent lamps with a power of 0.7-0.8 W/l should be used as light sources. The duration of daylight for this species should be from eight to ten hours. This plant requires careful care, so it is quite rare in amateur aquariums.
The soil should be nutritious and silted. Coarse river sand and gravel can be used as a substrate. This heat-loving plant requires liquid mineral fertilizers during active growth and flowering. To improve the decorative qualities of the plant in the aquarium, it is necessary to install a carbon dioxide generator and a filter. In addition, it is recommended to regularly, at least once a week, perform a partial (twenty-five percent) water change in the aquarium. This plant has a strong rhizome, so it is used for decorating aquaterrariums, however, it should be protected from damage by large amphibians. And, in the case of ammania transplantation, it will take some time to acclimatize the plant.
Ammania Senegalese reproduces vegetatively. To do this, the stem of the plant is cut into pieces and the resulting cuttings are planted in the ground, deepening the lower whorls of leaves. Cuttings taken from side shoots take root best. Generative propagation using seeds is a painstaking and quite labor-intensive task, but this method of plant cultivation is the most effective. Daughter shoots are planted in the center of the aquarium, along the side walls and in the background. The growth rate of Ammannia senegalensis is high, but at low water temperatures, leaf loss and plant degradation are possible. The rate of growth and development of Ammania Senegalese is also influenced by the duration and intensity of lighting and the chemical parameters of the water.
