Cultivar of Echinodorus

Impai sword

Echinodorus 'Impai'

One of 28 cultivars of Echinodorus · See all cultivars →

Also known as Echinodorus impaii

FreshwaterRosettePlantletsRhizome division

Care at a glance

Light: Medium light
CO2: CO₂ beneficial
Temperature: 72–82°F; 22–28°C
Max height: 11.8 in; 30 cm

Growth rate: Medium
Placement: Midground
Type: Rosette
pH: 6.0–7.5
Spread: 7.9 in (20 cm)
Nutrient uptake: Root + water column
Growth region: Submersed or emersed
Difficulty: Easy
Family: Alismataceae
Origin: Trade cultivar of unknown breeder and parentage (no wild population documented)

Overview

Impai is a mid-sized sword for the midground of tanks from about 100 liters, growing to around 30 cm. Plant it in nutrient-rich substrate or over root tabs and set the rhizome shallow, with the crown above the soil. Medium light is plenty, and a Dutch shop rates it one of the few swords that does well under weaker light. CO2 is optional. Potted plants are grown emersed, so expect the first leaves to die back while underwater leaves take over. Remove old outer leaves at the base.

In the wild

Impai is a trade sword of unknown breeder and parentage, and no wild population of it is documented. A Flowgrow member who bought it in 2020 found it somewhat too reddish for a wild plant and suspected it might be a cultivar. Shops sell it as potted plants. The genus grows wild in the wetlands of the Americas, rooted in soft mud.

Good to know

Impai is a sword plant in the family Alismataceae, sold under a trade name with no botanical standing. It forms a rosette of broad oval leaves on long stalks, bright green when mature. Young leaves come in lighter or flushed bronze to red, and some blades show faint brown flecks. Shops spell the name Impai or Impaii.

Did you know

The trade name Impai is often confused with Echinodorus inpai, a Brazilian species named after the INPA research institute. That species grows poorly in aquariums, and on Flowgrow the spelling impai is treated as a typo that ended up on a different plant.