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Echinodorus horizontalis Mini

Echinodorus horizontalis 'Mini'

Also known as Horizontal Mini sword

FreshwaterRosettePlantletsRhizome division

Care at a glance

Light
Low light
CO2
CO₂ beneficial
Growth rate
Slow
Placement
Midground
Type
Rosette
Temperature
64–82°F (18–28°C)
pH
6.5–7.5
Max height
7.9 in (20 cm)
Spread
7.9 in (20 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Root + water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Easy
Origin
Selection of Echinodorus horizontalis, native to the Amazon basin
Family
Alismataceae

Overview

A midground sword for modest light: the species has a low light demand but should not be fully shaded by neighbors. Plant it in nutrient-rich substrate or feed root tabs, keep the crown above the substrate, and expect slow, steady growth; a good CO2 supply and soft, slightly acidic water suit it best. New leaves come in with a brownish-pink cast before turning green. Propagate from plantlets on the flower stalk or by dividing the rhizome, and avoid sudden parameter swings, which trigger melt.

In the wild

The parent species Echinodorus horizontalis grows in the Amazon basin of northern South America, in shaded swamp woods, seasonally flooded forest and rainforest stream banks where water levels change quickly. It handles both emersed and submersed life and, unusually for the genus, prefers shade over open sun. Mini is a compact trade selection of that species, not a wild population.

Good to know

A member of the family Alismataceae. The species epithet horizontalis describes the leaf posture: the blades sit nearly horizontal on their petioles whether the plant is emersed or submersed, with a heart-shaped base. Mini is a selection kept for its smaller rosette; it is the same species, and the full-size form reaches roughly twice its height underwater.

Did you know

The horizontal leaf posture that names the species fits its home: in shaded, flooded forest it holds its blades flat like small shelves, and it presents them exactly the same way in a tank.

Appears in

Low-light plants · Midground plants · Sword plants · Beginner plants

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