Hygrophila salicifolia

The name Hygrophila salicifolia refers to various forms of Hygrophila from tropical and subtropical Asia. When grown emersed, these plants produce pale lilac flowers borne in the leaf axils at the stem nodes.¹

The Hygrophila salicifolia group is taxonomically very complex. Some authors regard Hygrophila angustifolia and H. lancea as belonging to H. salicifolia, while others treat them as separate species. In the online version of the "Flora of China"², the names H. salicifolia, H. angustifolia, and H. lancea (along with several others) are listed as synonyms of Hygrophila ringens var. ringens.

In the aquarium hobby and trade, several plants can be assigned to the H. salicifolia group based on their flowers. On www.heimbiotop.de¹, a green-leaved H. salicifolia with leaves approximately 15 cm long and 3 cm wide is described, as well as H. salicifolia "Red", which has reddish-brown leaves measuring around 10 cm in length and 2 cm in width.

It cannot be ruled out that the name H. salicifolia is also mistakenly applied in the trade to other species (for example, narrow-leaved forms of H. corymbosa?). Various Hygrophila species can appear very similar when not in flower or when grown submerged, making reliable identification impossible under those conditions.

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