Photo: Tommy Kronkvist, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Dwarf sword “quadricostatus”
Helanthium bolivianum "quadricostatus" (Rusby) Lehtonen & Myllys
10–15 cm
Height in the aquarium
medium to high
Light
low
CO₂ needs
20–26 °C
Ideal temperature
Water parameters
Understand these values- Position
- midground, foreground
- Propagation
- runners
- Uses
- nano tank, carpet
- Grows emersed
- yes
In the wild
Overview
“Quadricostatus” is a trade name used for several forms of Helanthium bolivianum. Some stay very low and form a fast ground cover; others can exceed twenty centimetres. The names Echinodorus magdalenensis or E. xinguensis are also found for these plants, which keeps the confusion going.
- Scientific name
- Helanthium bolivianum "quadricostatus" (Rusby) Lehtonen & Myllys
- Classification
- Alismatales › Alismataceae
- IUCN Red List
- Not evaluated (NE)
Natural habitat
Tropical South America
Observations (GBIF) and localities Native countries Introduced in Rivers and lakes
- Native countries
Range of the species Helanthium bolivianum according to Kew:
- Introduced by people
Outside its native range, in 1 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
Give the runners room, then separate the young rosettes to extend or contain the planting. Medium to strong light supports its growth. Check the form on sale before choosing it for a nano tank: not every plant labelled “quadricostatus” produces a carpet of the same height.
Sources:Flowgrow Tropica GBIF POWO (Kew) · Base map: Natural Earth