Trade cultivar of unknown breeder and parentage (no wild population documented)
Overview
Impai sword is an easy, mid-sized sword for the midground of tanks from about 100 liters.
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. On Flowgrow, the spelling impai is treated as a typo that ended up on a different plant.
Caring for Impai sword
Plant Impai sword in a nutrient-rich substrate or over root tabs. 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 but speeds growth. Keep it at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C) and a pH of 6 to 7.5.
Potted plants are grown emersed, so expect the first leaves to die back while underwater leaves take over. It grows to around 30 cm at a moderate pace. Remove old outer leaves at the base. Propagate it from plantlets or by dividing the rhizome.
Good to know
Impai sword 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.
In the wild
Impai sword has an 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 a cultivar. Shops sell it as potted plants. The genus grows wild in the wetlands of the Americas, rooted in soft mud.
Common questions
Does Impai sword need to be planted in the substrate?
Yes. Bury the roots and leave the crown, where the leaves join, just above the substrate.
Does Impai sword need CO2?
No, but it helps. Impai sword can grow without injected CO2, and added CO2 makes it grow faster.
How much light does Impai sword need?
Impai sword wants medium light. A light sold for planted tanks covers it.
Does Impai sword need root tabs?
Yes. Impai sword draws much of its food through its roots. Push root tabs in near it, or grow it in a nutrient-rich soil.
How do you propagate Impai sword?
Impai sword propagates by plantlets and rhizome division. Small plantlets form on the plant and can be detached once they have a few roots. Cut the rhizome into pieces with several leaves each, then tie or plant each piece.
How tall does Impai sword grow?
Impai sword grows to about 11.8 in (30 cm) tall. It grows at a moderate pace.
Low lightMidground7.9 in (20 cm)
Medium lightBackground19.7 in (50 cm)
High lightBackground19.7 in (50 cm)
Medium lightBackground19.7 in (50 cm)