Freshwater
Phyllanthus fluitans
Phyllanthaceae
Facts
Care
- Growth form
- Floating
- Placement
- Surface
- Light
- Medium
- CO₂
- Not needed
- Growth
- Medium
- Difficulty
- Easy
Range
NativeIntroduced
Lives wild in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and 1 more country.
Introduced to United States.
More about the species
Description
Phyllanthus fluitans, also known as the red root floater, floating spurge, or apple duckweed (although it is neither a spurge or a duckweed), is a species of free floating aquatic plant and herbaceous perennial in the family Phyllanthaceae. This species is one of the only three non-terrestrial species in the genus Phyllanthus, with the other species being P. leonardianus and P. felicis. The generic name comes from Ancient Greek meaning leaf or a leaf (φύλλον, phúllon; phyll) flower (ἄνθος, anthos; anthus), and the specific name comes from Latin meaning floating or float (fluito; fluitans). It was described in March 1863 by George Bentham and Johannes Müller Argoviensis.
Other names
Other scientific names
- Diasperus fluitans
Articles
All articles
Easy plants for beginners4 min read
Plants that cope with low light, soft water and a beginner’s mistakes, and how to plant them so they grow.
How to set up a South American aquarium4 min read
Soft, acidic water, subdued light, sand, roots and fallen leaves: how to set up a biotope aquarium from the Amazon and the rivers around it.
How to set up a Central American aquarium5 min read
Hard, alkaline water, sand and rock: an aquarium from the rivers and lakes of Mexico and Central America, with cichlids and livebearers.
How to care for aquarium plants3 min read
Light, nutrients and CO₂ in balance, low tech versus high tech, and how to read from the leaves what your plants are missing.