Photo: Syariful Msth, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Water lettuce
Pistia stratiotes L.
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Height in the aquarium
medium to high
Light
low
CO₂ needs
22–30 °C
Ideal temperature
Water parameters
Understand these values- Position
- Not known
- Propagation
- runners
- Grows emersed
- yes
In the wild
Overview
The velvety leaves gather into floating rosettes, hence the name “water lettuce”. Many fine, feathery roots hang beneath the plant. This floater of warm regions lives in calm fresh water; its small flowers stay discreet, hidden near the base of the leaves.
- Scientific name
- Pistia stratiotes L.
- Classification
- Alismatales › Araceae
- IUCN Red List
- Least concern (LC)
Natural habitat
Africa, Madagascar region, Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, Australia, Oceania, Central America, Caribbean, tropical South America
Observations (GBIF) and localities Native countries Introduced in Rivers and lakes
- Native countries
- Introduced by people
Outside its native range, in 19 countries:
An aquarium plant must never reach the wild: throwing away cuttings or emptying a tank into a stream can be enough to establish it.
Countries: Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP). Dots: GBIF observations in the native countries.
In the aquarium
Growing in the aquarium
Leave the rosettes at the surface in a well-lit spot. Runners produce young plants used for propagation. The plant can form large colonies: remove the surplus to keep part of the surface free and avoid heavy shading of the bottom. In shallow water its roots can reach the substrate.
Sources:Flowgrow GBIF POWO (Kew) Kew — Flora Zambesiaca · Base map: Natural Earth