Lagenandra ovata

Lagenandra ovata is a large, robust marsh plant that, growing emersed, can reach over a metre in height. It looks very similar to Lagenandra praetermissa and L. toxicaria and is distinguished from these species by characters of the inflorescences. In its outward appearance the plant also resembles Cryptocoryne ciliata.¹ L. ovata colonises shady to sunny banks of fast-flowing rivers and streams, in each case in the southwest of India and of Sri Lanka², and as a young plant it can also be found growing completely under water.¹

This large Lagenandra species is already covered in older aquarium literature such as Paffrath (1979)³, but is probably not particularly well known as an aquarium plant. L. ovata can be cultivated submersed. But because it grows very large even under water, it is more suitable as a specimen plant for very tall tanks (water level over 50 cm) and otherwise grows out of the water. It is probably better suited semi-emersed or as a marsh plant in large paludariums.

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