12 



The Florists' Review 



July 31, 1919. 



PBOPES PI.ANTS FOB AQUASIA. 



Needed to Maintain Life. 



Florists who have had experience with 

 fish as a side line, in their window dec- 

 orations, or in their private collections, 

 have found that the care of them re- 

 quires some study. It is not enough to 

 give them water and food, as one would 

 a pet dog or cat, and let it go at that. 

 Success with fish is not attained at once.* 

 There are a number of items to be con- 

 sidered in caring for them, in order to 

 produce the best results. One of these, 

 and a most important one, is that of 

 plants to be provided for the aquaria. 



Aquatic plants suitable for aquaria 

 are indispensable for maintaining the 

 life of the fish, possessing the power of 

 generating oxygen. Pure oxygen is es- 

 sential for fish, while carbon dioxide is 

 a plant necessity; thus a balance is 

 maintained, the oxygen given off by the 

 plants being utilized by the fish, while 

 the carbon dioxide exhaled by the fish 

 is absorbed by the plants. Without 

 this reciprocal relation it is impossible 

 to attempt fish culture successfully. It 

 has been repeatedly demonstrated by 

 specialists that aquaria containing suf- 

 ficient plant life may be tightly cov- 

 ered, the plants giving off enough oxy- 

 gen to support a proportionate number 

 of fish. The feces excreted by the fish 

 are absorbed by the plant roots as food. 



Best Ozygen-Gtonerating Plants. 



The ornamental value of plants in 

 aquaria is another important feature. 

 The plants used may be either native or 

 tropical, placing stress upon those which 

 possess to the largest degree oxygen- 

 generating properties. The best plants 

 for this purpose are pond-weed (Pota- 

 mogeton crispus), fish-grass (Cabomba 

 caroliniana), eel-grass (Vallisneria spir- 

 alis), water-weed (Elodea canadensis), 

 and ribbon arrowhead (Sagittaria sub- 

 ulata). 



Pond-weed (Potamogeton crispus) is 

 a native of Europe, forming greenish- 

 brown growths. The leaves are lanceo- 

 late with undulated margins and the 

 flowers white. It is one of the best 

 oxygen generators, but an exceedingly 

 noxious weed in outside ponds. 



Fish-grass (Cabomba caroliniana) is 

 a native of North America. The green 

 leaves are produced in fan-shaped for- 

 mation from the central stem, which 

 reaches a length of four feet. The plant 

 is quite attractive, but is a rather poor 

 oxygen generator. 



Eel-grass (Vallisneria spiralis) is a 

 grass-like plant, a native of North 

 America, with strap-shaped leaves vary- 

 ing from one to three feet in length, 

 liffbt green in color, and translucent. 

 The star-shaped, floating pistillate flow- 

 ers are connected to the base of the 

 plant by a long filament, which later 

 becomes spiral, submerging the flower 

 for fertilization. The staminate flowers 

 are globular, produced at the base of the 

 plant, from which they break away, ris- 

 ing to the surface of the water. They 

 float with the stream, pollen exposed, so 

 that when contact occurs with the pis- 



tillate flowers, pollination readily takes 

 place. This plant is a good oxygen gen- 

 erator. 



Water-weed (Elodea canadensis var. 

 gigantea) is a native of North America, 

 moss-like im growth. The leaves are in 

 whorls upon light green stems, which 

 form strands reaching several feet in 

 length. This is an excellent oxygen 

 generator, growing completely sub- 

 merged. It may become a pestiferous 

 weed in lily ponds. 



Ribbon arrowhead (Sagittaria- subu- 

 lata) is also a native of North America. 

 The submerged leaves are equitant, 

 strap-shaped, dark green, one foot in 

 length. The growth above water bears 

 lance or sagittate leaves. This plant is 

 one of the most valuable for aquarium 

 })urposes, multiplying rapidly by stolon- 

 iferous growths and supplying a plenti- 

 ful amount of oxygen. A noxious weed 

 in ponds. 



A list of the plants most suitable for 

 use in aquaria, compiled by the Missouri 

 Botanical Garden, is given in tabular 

 form on this page, with facts regarding 

 their common names, habits and hab- 

 itats. 



SCUM ON AQUABIUM. 



We have a circular pool twelve feet 

 in diameter and two feet deep for gold- 

 fish. We keep a small stream of water 

 running nearly all the time, but the 

 y)Ool has a green scum on the surface. 

 We have a few plants of cyperus, in 

 large pots, standing in the water. Is 

 there any way of preventing this green 

 scum on the water? F. B. — Ala. 



and where the current issuot too strong 

 for it to grow. \ 



This scum has many useful purposes in 

 aquaria and pools. It served as a natu- 

 ral food for both fish and scavi^ngers and 

 has medicinal properties beneficial to 

 fish. As long as it is of a light green 

 color and not too thick, it may be left in, 

 but if it turns brown it is indicative of 

 a dead and decaying condition and 

 should be removed, and the aquarium 

 or pool thoroughly cleaned. 



It may be removed from the plants 

 by means of tweezers, the hand, or by 

 entangling the growth about a stick. 

 A small quantity of a solution of per- 

 manganate of potassium in water, 

 diluted to a claret wine color and then 

 added to the water, will cause the entire 

 disappearance, of the scum without in- 

 jury to the animal life. 



WHEN TO PI.ANT LILY BULBS. 



I wish to inquire in regard to the best 

 time to plant the bulbs of the candidum 

 or Madonna lily. I have a large lot 

 of small bulbs grown from scales, which 

 I am anxious to plant so as to get the 

 best possible growth for another year. 

 As the growth starts in the late sum- 

 mer, I assume that the earlier they are 

 planted the bettei". 



Is it important that there should be 

 a period of rest after the bulbs are 

 taken up and if so, how long? 



it. L. McC— Mich. 



The formation of scum or algsB on 

 aquaria and outdoor pools is simply a 

 plant growth that comes on any body 

 of water where there is life and light. 



The best time tor planting Lilium 

 candidum is from iLugust 15 to October 

 1. This gives the^ bulbs a chance to 

 make good growth before severe winter 

 weather sets in. It is a good plan, after 

 planting, to mulch the ground with a 

 thin layer of partially rotted barnyard 

 manure. This will keep the soil moist 

 and hasten root action. 



If the inquirer's bulbs are still in the 

 ground, it will be best to dig them up 

 and lay them out to get a thorough 

 drying, then plant again about Sep- 

 tember 1. But do not allow the scales 

 of the bulbs to shrivel at all. As soon 

 as they show signs of doing this they 

 will be better off in the ground. 



M. P. 



PLANTS SUITABLE FOR AQUARIA. 



Botanical name. 



Aponogeton distachyus 



Aponogeton fenestralis 



Azolla caroliniana 



Cabomba caroliniana 



Callltriche yerna 



CeratoptPris thalictroldes 



rryptooorynp Grifflthii 



Cyperus alternifoliiis var. varieKatiis 



Cyperus Papyrus 



Eiclihornin speciosa 



Elodea (Anarharis) canadensis. 

 Eriocaulon septangulare 



Fontinalls antipyretica 

 Heteranthera limosa . . 



Hippiiris vulgaris 



Isoetes EnBclinnnui 



Jussiaea lonKifolia 



r^eniiia minor 



Limnobium SponRla 



Limnocharis Humboldtii 



Ludwlgia Mulerttll 



Myriophyllum proserpinacoides 

 Nuphar saKittaefollum 



PIstia Stratlotes 



Salvlnia natans 



Potamogeton crispus 

 Sagittaria subulata . . 



Trapa natans 



T'trlcularia vulgaris var. americana. 

 Vallisneria spiralis 



Common name. 

 Cape pond-weed 

 Lace-leaf 

 Water moss 

 Fish-grass 

 Spring atarwort 



Water fern 



Mosaic leaf 

 Variegated 



umbrella plant 

 Egyptian pepper 



plant 

 Water hyacinth 



Water- weed 

 Hair grass 



Willow moss 



Bog herb 



Mare's tail 

 Quillwort 

 Primrose willow 

 Duck weed 

 American frogbit 

 Water poppy 

 Water purslane 

 Parrot's feather 

 Spatter-dock 



ter lettuce 

 lating gem 

 Pond -weed 

 Ribbon arrowhead 



Water chestnut 



Bladderwort 



Eel-grass 



Habit. 



Floating 



Submerged 



Floating 



Submerged 



Submerged or float- 

 ing 



Leaves floating or 

 above water 



Submerged 



Leaves above 

 water 



Leaves above 

 water 



Floating 



Submerged 

 Submerged or 



above water 

 Submerged or 



above water 

 Floating 

 Submerged or 



above water 

 Submerged 

 Floating 

 Floating 

 Floating 

 Floating 

 Floating 

 Floating 

 Submerged or 



above water 

 Floating 

 Floating 

 Submerged 

 Submerged 



above water 

 Floating 

 Submerged 

 Submerged 



Habitat 

 South Africa 

 Madagascar 

 North America 

 North America 

 North America 



Tropics 



Malaya 

 Madagascar 



Egypt 



Southern United 



States 

 North America 

 Southern United 



States 

 North America 



North America 

 North America 



North America 

 Brazil 



North America 

 North America 

 South America 

 Amason River 

 Tropics 

 North America 



Tropics 

 Tropics 

 Europe 

 North America 



China 



North America 



North America 



