TankBud

Cultivar of Echinodorus

Jaguar sword

Echinodorus 'Jaguar'

One of 28 cultivars of Echinodorus · See all cultivars →

Also known as Echinodorus x 'Jaguar'

FreshwaterRosettePlantletsSide shoots

Cultivars · Echinodorus

See all 28 →

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
9.8 in (25 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Root + water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Easy
Family
Alismataceae
Origin
Cultivated form (nursery selection, no wild range); breeder and parents unrecorded

Overview

Jaguar is an easy sword that tops out around 30 cm, which puts it in the midground of most tanks. Medium light is enough, and added CO2 makes it grow faster. Swords feed mainly through their roots, so plant it in a rich substrate or push a root tab beside the crown every few months. The potted leaves were grown above water and often melt in the first weeks. New leaves unfolding from the center show that the plant has settled in. Cut old leaves at the base as they fade.

In the wild

Jaguar is a nursery sword with no wild range, known only as a cultivated form. No source records its parents. A Canadian shop credits Hans Barth of Dessau, who introduced the spotted Leopard and Ozelot swords, but no reference confirms it. Most sword cultivars descend from South American species that root in the mud of marshes and slow rivers.

Good to know

Jaguar is a sword cultivar in the family Alismataceae, with no species name attached. Its emersed leaves are broad, lance-shaped to oval and light green, with a heart-shaped or squared-off base. Its underwater leaves are long and oval, with a rounded tip and clear veins. Young leaves carry faint, blurry red-brown spots, clearest on underwater growth, and older leaves usually look plain green. Ozelot Green is the nearest look-alike, but its dark spots are bold and easy to see.

Did you know

Jaguar is one of several sword cultivars named after spotted cats, alongside Leopard and Ozelot. Its spots are the faintest of the three, so check a young leaf before you decide a plant was mislabeled.

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