Rotala ramosior "Florida"

Rotala ramosior is an annual plant native to wetlands from North to South America, which is also naturalised in Asia. It forms straight, slightly branched stems at least 20 cm long under water. There are various forms of this species in the aquarium hobby. Rotala ramosior "Florida" has small, cross-opposite, elongated, egg-shaped leaves that are strikingly red-violet in colour under suitable conditions. The leaf midrib, leaf base and stem are a contrasting light green colour. The shoots are about 2.5 cm wide and appear less compact than those of Rotala ramosior "Sunset". The leaves are about 1 to 1.3 cm long and 4 mm wide. The stem is 1.5 mm wide and the stem nodes are 5 to 8 mm apart.

Leaf structure of the submerged leaves

Like Rotala ramosior "Sunset", R. ramosior "Florida" is a demanding, light-loving plant. It grows somewhat more slowly than "Sunset"; in our aquaria it has grown to a height of around 9 cm in a month. CO₂ addition and a constant supply of macro and micronutrients are recommended. Fertilisation via the substrate is also an advantage. Young plants from tissue culture cups in particular should only be used in aquaria that are already established and running well. Like other stem plants, this Rotala can be propagated by cuttings. However, care must be taken when doing so. Rotala ramosior does not tolerate severe pruning well and has a low propagation rate. Stem stumps that are left standing often die back after deep pruning instead of producing side shoots. It is best to leave the plants to grow undisturbed for a while and then cut top cuttings further up. If the remaining stems are vigorous enough, they will form some side shoots, which in turn can be used for propagation. In this way, you can grow a group of plants by selective pruning and cutting new shoots.

Rotala ramosior "Florida" is a special appearance in the aquarium. This small, upright and barely branching stem plant is more graceful than Rotala ramosior ‘Sunset’ and is particularly eye-catching with its red-violet leaves, which contrast with the green stem. This Rotala works best as a free-standing group in the middle ground, no higher than around 15 - 20 cm. Its size also makes it suitable for nano aquariums.