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Pond plant confirmation


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#1 Guest_UncleWillie_*

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Posted 25 January 2010 - 07:28 PM

I have been eyeing this plant in the pond a while and was finally able to snag a tiny bit to take a pic today. My guess was baby's tears Micranthemum sp, but was wondering if anyone could confirm this.

This grows on the margin of the pond mostly anywhere from 6 inches deep to mucky soil on the bank. These plants actually survived the 2 week long freeze and have been growing the last 2 weeks and pearling.

Thanks in advance for the help. I may try to put it in a small 'critter keeper' I found in the attic and see if I can get some growth out of it.

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Edited: My pics seemed to have lost resolution. If larger or clearer pics are needed, I can provide them.

Edited by UncleWillie, 25 January 2010 - 07:30 PM.


#2 Guest_UncleWillie_*

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Posted 26 January 2010 - 08:42 AM

I am now second- (actually third-) guessing myself. Months ago, I was call this Bacopa. Then I started calling it Micranthemum. Now, after looking and looking, I am only confusing myself further and now my eyes are having a hard time distiguishing the two. I know Bacopa when I see it submerged and growing in strands, but the way this plant grows in mostly 3 inch water has been confusing me. Any tips on distinguishing the two will certainly help. Thanks!

Edited by UncleWillie, 26 January 2010 - 08:42 AM.


#3 Guest_gerald_*

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Posted 26 January 2010 - 10:15 AM

Micranthemum stems are very thin, about 1 mm diam, and leaves are round, about 8 mm across or less, and closely spaced along the stem. Bacopa leaves are mostly larger, longer than wide, stems thicker, and longer stem internodes between the leaves. Bacopa can grow erect on land; Micranthemum is a strictly creeper on land. Although there's a Bacopa called B. cyclophylla I've never seen and cant find a pic of it, but sounds like it has must have round leaves. Your pic looks like Micranthemum to me; its also called Shade Mudflower.

#4 Guest_nativeplanter_*

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Posted 26 January 2010 - 12:42 PM

It's a little hard without having something for scale in the photos, but the leaves look too ovoid to me to be a Micranthemum. Are the stems hairy, at least towards the top? If so, it is likely Bacopa caroliniana or maybe B. rotudifolia. B caroliniana will smell like menthol or lemon if you crush it a bit.

Otherwise, can you put something in the photo for scale, like a penny?

#5 Guest_UncleWillie_*

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Posted 28 January 2010 - 04:39 PM

Thanks so much for all the help. I was able to snap a few more pictures. The water has gone down a few inces and has cleared a bit. So here they are. You can see that most of what is growing now is new growth since our freeze a few weeks ago. A lot of the new growth is on the moist banks and some that was deep enough not to freeze. But still nothing over about 6 inches deep. Thanks again!
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You may be able to see that a lot of where this plant has begun to grow is wear terretrial plants have been flooded since september and died.

And here are some underwater shots.
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In this bottom pic, there is a sweetgum ball to the left as I couldn't get the penny to stand upright.

#6 Guest_gerald_*

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Posted 28 January 2010 - 05:47 PM

Here's my pic of Micranthemum umbrosum from NC, grown emergent on wet soil. Laura's right, your plants have more ovate leaves than we usually see on Micranthemum around here, and that brownish stripe along the mid-vein looks weird (unless that's a freeze effect). Sorry no penny for scale, but these leaves are mostly 5 to 7 mm.

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Edited by gerald, 28 January 2010 - 05:48 PM.


#7 Guest_UncleWillie_*

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Posted 28 January 2010 - 07:54 PM

Thanks for the pic, Gerald. The red you see is actually sediment resting on the leaf from our rain a few days ago. I didn't want to stir up the water too much. Geez, they look so close. Hopefully in a bit the plants will grow and I can see the obvious oval shaped leaves.

#8 Guest_nativeplanter_*

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Posted 29 January 2010 - 02:10 PM

Ahah! I think I 've got it! The penny helps a lot.

I'm pretty sure it is Hypericum mutilum. Unfortunately, I don't think it will live completely submerged long-term.

The leaves are too small to be Bacopa, and too ovate to be Micranthemum. Plus, the mid-vein may not be red, but the fact that it's collected sediment shows that it is somewhat prominent. Micranthemum will not have an obvious mid-vein like that.

Growing in nice wet, mud, however, it is a pretty little thing. Tiny yellow flowers.

#9 Guest_gerald_*

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Posted 29 January 2010 - 06:04 PM

Yup! i can believe Hypericum seedlings; hadn't thought of that. Good sleuthing on that mud-on-the-mid-vein phenomenon.
Micranthemum in my pitcher plant pool dies completely after a hard freeze and doesnt come back until spring. That made me suspicious of these plants that kept growing after freezing.

Ahah! I think I 've got it! The penny helps a lot. I'm pretty sure it is Hypericum mutilum. Unfortunately, I don't think it will live completely submerged long-term. The leaves are too small to be Bacopa, and too ovate to be Micranthemum. Plus, the mid-vein may not be red, but the fact that it's collected sediment shows that it is somewhat prominent. Micranthemum will not have an obvious mid-vein like that. Growing in nice wet, mud, however, it is a pretty little thing. Tiny yellow flowers.



#10 Guest_UncleWillie_*

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Posted 29 January 2010 - 09:06 PM

Geez! I am very very impressed. Thank you so much. Yall have been a great help.
This certainly explains its very quick growth once the water level rises and creates that soft wet soil. I will be keeping an eye on it this spring and hopefully get to see it flowering. Again, Thanks!

#11 Guest_UncleWillie_*

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Posted 24 August 2011 - 10:42 AM

I know its been a year and a half since this post, but I wanted to post a follow-up. Thanks for the great ID help, everyone.
I tried to get some flower pictures, but every time I saw them bloom, I didn't have my camera. The flowers didn't stick around long. Plus, it doesn't help when you weed-eat around the pond's edges every few weeks. I ended up spotting this plant in 4 different areas around the property - most of them being in small swampy patches that tend to hold water (and tadpoles) in spring, then de-water in the summer heat.

I did get some pics this spring of the same plant in different areas, taking on different growth patterns. You can see them in the pics below.

Hypericum mutilum
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New growth on the pond's shady banks.

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Young sprouts on the left, with the larger shoots on the right and in the back. This is around the pond. I tried these plants in plain old creek sand in my Leopard frog riparium. It did quite well in medium light considering the substrate. Never amounted to much more that what you see in this pic.

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Growing much taller here. A small swampy area with a lot of bulrush, and ludwigia. This soil is still moist, but not a muddy mess like in the above picture.

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Same swampy area, but here the soil is dried up, and starting to crack. The plant turns a pretty red color, but doesn't die. I returned to this area throughout the summer expecting them to be dead. To my surprise, the leaves (sometimes the stem) would turn much more red than this photo. They had a mix of green and red coloration and continued growth in this red form.

Currently the plants are now getting old enough and branching. Last year I never saw flowers on un-branched individuals. The small yellow flowers were only seen if the plant made to this branched form before the first frost. Hopefully they will bloom soon and I'll get some pics.

Edited by UncleWillie, 24 August 2011 - 10:44 AM.





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