Vallisneria nana Tiger

Care at a glance

Overview

A background grass for almost any freshwater tank, including hard water and unheated setups. Push each plant into sand or fine gravel with the crown just proud of the substrate and it will send out runners until you have a curtain; pull unwanted plantlets or cut the runner to contain it. No CO2 needed and medium light is plenty. Avoid shearing the leaf tips like a lawn, since cut leaves tend to rot back; remove tired leaves whole at the base instead. Root tabs help in inert sand.

In the wild

A striped variant of Vallisneria nana, which grows in rivers, creeks and billabongs across northern Australia, rooted in sand and gravel in flowing water. Like all vals it is a true submersed plant with no emersed form, flowering on long stalks that reach the surface. The Tiger form circulates through nursery culture rather than wild collection.

Good to know

Vallisneria nana, family Hydrocharitaceae, is a narrow-leaved eelgrass from northern Australia. DNA analysis placed the striped Tiger form here even though it is mostly sold as Vallisneria spiralis 'Tiger', 'Leopard', 'Striped' or 'Marmor'. The variegation is fine dark brown striping and speckling on narrow, grass-green ribbon leaves, which can pick up reddish-brown tones under strong light.

Did you know

For years it sold as a striped form of Vallisneria spiralis under four different fancy names, until DNA analysis showed the Tiger actually belongs to Vallisneria nana, the narrow-leaved Australian species, so the species on the pot label is usually wrong.

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