''Aponogeton rigidifolius'' is a species of freshwater plant native to

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

. In the wild it grows in deep water at temperatures of in sandy soil with the water pH at 7.2.

Description

The creeping rhizome is cylindrical and about thick. The leaves stay submerse, are firm (almost leather-like and seem immune to most fish and snails) about long and wide. The margins of the leaves are flat to slightly undulate with a distinct midrib. In colour they are a dark green to reddish colour. The

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed ...

has a single spike with white

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...

s and small

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in partic ...

Cultivation and uses

This

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

is unique amongst the Aponogetons in having an elongated rhizome rather than a tuber; the rhizome creeps along the surface, and from it new leaves sprout. This rhizome can be divided. It needs no rest period but is slow growing, though tough once established. It needs only a moderate light, tropical temperatures, and will tolerate harder water than most other Aponogetons. It is not commonly available but a good plant for the middle to background of an aquarium. It flowers rarely in aquariums.

References

External links

Karen Randell - Aponogetons

cultivation
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2339178 rigidifolius Freshwater plants Flora of Sri Lanka