Hemianthus callitrichoides
Hemianthus callitrichoides (also known as dwarf baby tears, cuba or simply the initials HC) is a semi-aquatic plant in the family Linderniaceae. The plant is endemic to West Indies, where it is native to the islands of The Bahamas, Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico.[1] In The Bahamas, this species known as "water-starwort".[1]
Hemianthus callitrichoides | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Lamiales |
Family: | Scrophulariaceae |
Genus: | Hemianthus |
Species: | H. callitrichoides |
Binomial name | |
Hemianthus callitrichoides | |
This species is commonly used as a foreground or carpeting plant in planted aquariums. When used in aquascaping, this species is known to have relatively high light and CO₂ requirements. Once planted, each portion will produce runners which basically are individual stems that branch off and grow along the substrate.[2]
Hemianthus callitrichoides was first collected by Holger Windeløv and Eusebio Canicio Delgado Pérez in 2003 in Las Pozas, Cuba, about 90 kilometres (56 mi) east of Havana. Unlike the related Hemianthus micranthemoides, H. callitrichoides is thought to be native only to Cuba.[3]
References
- Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro; Strong, Mark T. (2012). "Catalogue of Seed Plants of the West Indies". Smithsonian Contributions to Botany. 98: 1–1192. doi:10.5479/si.0081024X.98.1. hdl:10088/17551.
- "Dwarf Baby Tears Care". Sean Ben. 28 October 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
- "Hemianthus callitrichoides "Cuba" – a beautiful carpet". Tropica.com. Retrieved 17 August 2012.