Range and localities [?]: West, Central and South Europe, coastal regions of North Africa (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia), few localities in the Middle East: Turkey, Lebanon, Syria1
The lesser water-plantains of the genus Baldellia are low-growing plants distributed in Western, Central and Southern Europe as well as in some parts of Northern Africa. They were long considered to belong to the genus Echinodorus. Two to three groups are differentiated between, depending on the author they are considered to be species in their own right or subspecies:
- Baldellia ranunculoides ssp. ranunculoides = B. ranunculoides sensu strictu,
- Baldellia ranunculoides ssp. repens = B. repens,
- Baldellia alpestris, a species only distributed in moutaineous regions in Spain and Portugal, sometimes considered a synonym of B. ranunculoides ssp. repens.
Baldellia ranunculoides is, in a wider sense, mainly spread in Western Europe and also occurs in few places in Germany. According to the German Red List of 1996 it is considered critically endangered there.
The emersed form of the lesser water-plantain forms low rosulate leaves with lanceolate leaf blades and umbellate inflorescences with white to pale violet flowers. Similar to Echinodorus species, the plants form erinaceous aggregate fruit containing nutlets.
In submersed cultivation, the plant sprouts very narrow, lineal leaves with an acute tip.
Baldellia ranunculoides ssp. repens grows runners forming modified inflorescences (so-called pseudostolons), just like the species of the genus Helanthium. The submersed leaves of this plant are rather stiff.
B. ranunculoides ssp. ranunculoides forms leaf rosettes without runners. When kept under the same conditions as ssp. repens, it tends to grow larger. Its submersed leaves are quite soft.
Even though this lesser water-plantain may have been mentioned in dated aquarium literature it is not very well-known in the hobby today. Sometimes, however, it can be found in trade as a pond plant.
B. ranunculoides is said to be a highly suitable plant for coldwater tanks but also to tolerate temperatures of over 20 °C. Reports of actual experiences with this water-plantain would be highly appreciated.
- To be continued -
According to Mühlberg (1980)1 and Kasselmann (2010)2, Baldellia ranunculoides is suitable as a cold-water aquarium plant, but also for heated tanks, as the species tolerates temperatures above 20 °C well. It needs a bright location and makes no special demands on the substrate. We have no more precise information on the cultivation requirements, but the lesser water-plantain seems to be an easy-to-keep, versatile plant. Although it is currently hardly known in the hobby, it would certainly be worthwhile for interested aquarists to test it in the aquarium over a longer period and to report on it.
The subspecies B. ranunculoides subsp. repens multiplies under water by runners. The subspecies ranunculoides does not form runners, but at least in the emersed plant daughter rosettes develop at the base, so that this subspecies can be propagated by division. In emersed culture it sets plentiful fruits with nutlets, which can be sown.
In outdoor cultivation the lesser water-plantain is not reliably hardy in Germany. Especially plants growing in the terrestrial form, out of the water, can freeze in harder winters; winter protection (e.g. by a light covering of leaves) is therefore recommended. But once the plant has developed ripe nutlets, it can sustain itself by self-seeding.
(For more see "Design")
References and further reading:As already mentioned, the lesser water-plantain is hardly known in the aquarium hobby, and we do not yet know of any specific examples of its use in aquarium design. It would certainly be interesting, however, to test Baldellia in aquascaping.
The subspecies B. ranunculoides subsp. ranunculoides in particular looks promising, because under water it develops a grass-like, light green leaf rosette up to approx. 20 cm tall, similar to the Helanthium species, but does not produce runners. According to Sterba (1978), it looks best in an aquarium when planted in small groups.
Baldellia ranunculoides subsp. repens, on the other hand, forms a dense lawn by means of runners (Sterba 1978) and could therefore be used as a grass-like ground cover.
Outdoors, e.g. at the edges of garden ponds or in portable containers, this small rosette plant looks quite attractive with its lanceolate leaves and its flowers, which appear throughout the summer and are white or light pink depending on the subspecies. Perhaps it could also be used for well-lit paludariums or wabi-kusa layouts.
References and further reading:
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