# Bolbitis ID



## Groundhog (Dec 17, 2006)

Alrighty then, I am freakin' confused: Which of the following is _Bolbitis heteroclita_? The first one, that channels poison ivy with its three "leaflets," or the second one, that looks small and cute and "ferny?"

And what then is the other one? 

Sending an SOS to Devin...

http://www.mizuworld.com/demo/mizu/images/product_aqua/thumb4/0146961001251280030.jpg

http://www.araflora.com/image/data/Bolbitis-heteroclita_Thailand_-3.jpg


----------



## fishfreak2009 (Sep 23, 2011)

I think they both are B. heteroclita. The first form is emersed growth, the second is submerged growth.


----------



## Groundhog (Dec 17, 2006)

Holy spit, Batman...



fishfreak2009 said:


> I think they both are B. heteroclita. The first form is emersed growth, the second is submerged growth.


----------



## Groundhog (Dec 17, 2006)

So whatchu sayin' G is this: 

1) I should hurry post-haste to the local Petco and gets me a heteroclita (mislabled as _Bolbitis heudelotii_*) in the plastic bottle;
2) Grow it in a prop box till I see some new growth;
3) Have a nice el cheapo vivarium plant...

* I actually have experience with _B. heudelotii_;for me, no more difficult than Microsorum...


----------



## FroggyKnight (Mar 14, 2013)

Wow, cool varience in growth pattern! It amazes me how they could be so different simply because of their environment


----------



## Manuran (Aug 28, 2007)

This is something that puzzled me before, but below is the current thinking.
Anyway, the larger plant is the one that has always been called Bolbitis heteroclita in the aquarium hobby. In soft water it will survive and will produce small oakleaf shaped fronds. It is never happy, as it isn't a good aquatic. You almost never see pics of this form in aquarium set-ups (growing) I had a plant for submerged for a decade and while the leaves were nice, the plant never thrived. If you buy a large leaved form and put it in the terrarium, it will always have that large form. 
The smaller plant is one that used to be called Edanyoa difformis. It was determined to be a form of Bolbitis heteroclita and is regularly called B. heteroclita "difformis" In my opinion it doesn't really belong underwater and most of the time you'll see pictures of plants growing (sometimes vigorously), but it really doesn't look good. This plant even when grown out of water is still small in stature. 
There's another form called B. heteroclita "cuspidata" which is another smaller one. But, I have no experience with it.

Here are a couple of pictures of B. heteroclita "difformis" grown out of water.


----------

