Aponogeton madagascariensis

Aponogeton madagascariensis, commonly known as Madagascar Laceleaf, Lattice Leaf or Lace Plant, is an aquatic plant native to Madagascar. It is popularly sold for use in aquaria and is now endangered in the wild.

Description

It is an aquatic monocotyledonous perennial plant with tuberous rhizomes 3 cm diameter. The leaves are oblong, the leaf blade 15–55 cm long and from 5–16 cm broad, with a total leaf length including the petiole of up to 65 cm. The leaves spread horizontally beneath the surface of the water, and are little more than a lattice-like skeletal network of veins with no tissue between. The flowers are produced on an erect spike up to 1 m long, sticking up to 20 cm above the water surface.

There seem to be several forms of this plant in cultivation, some large, some much smaller.

Cultivation and uses

The tuberculate roots are edible. It requires water temperatures of 15-26 °C and pH of 5-7.5, and grows best in medium - bright light with about 600 Lux. The substrate should be rich in nutriments.

It is a speciality in botanical gardens all over the world. It used to be so much in demand that it almost became extinct in its natural environment in Madagascar.

Often regarded as a difficult plant to cultivate this is mainly down to several problems : 1) it likes a bright light and this encourages algal growth which is difficult to clear from the leaves; 2) newly imported bulbs grow well in the first year but often fail in the second year, apparently due to a lack of food in the bulbs (cause still unknown); 3) seeds may be produced but often fail to germinate or thrive. Some enthusiasts recommend strong water movement and high filtration.

It is becoming scarce in the wild due to over-collection and plants for aquarium use should be bought from nurseries that have grown them themselves.

References

• Bruggen, H. W. E. van (1968) "Revision of the genus Aponogeton (Aponogetonaceae) 1. The species of Madagascar" Blumea 16:249–250.

External links

• Madagascar Lace Plant
• Tropica
• 'Age of Aquariums - reader's experiences''
• Success with Aponogeton Fenestralis
• image in the wild
• flowering in the wild