Hydrocotyle Tripartite "Japan"

Tripartite Hydrocotyle Sheet "Japan"

• Difficulty: Easy
• Family: araliaceae
• Gender: Hydrocotyle
• Origin: Australia
• Lighting: Low
• Temperature: 10nd - 30th
• Increase: Fast
• PH: 5.0 – 7.0
• Hardness: 0 – 30
• Co2: Optional

Characteristics of Hydrocotyle Tripartita "Japan"

This species is native to Australia. With its small clover-shaped light green leaves and creeping stems, this aquarium plant is very decorative. In addition, it is fast growing, can be used in multiple ways and is undemanding. Hydrocotyle Tripartita will show the best development under strong lighting and CO2 injection.

It can also grow, although more slowly, in low tech aquariums, where it will present inclined ascending stems.

This small and delicate Hydrocotyle is very popular in Asia, and is known there by different names. It was hardly known in Europe until recently. However, it was imported from Thailand to Italy in 2008 under the name Hydrocotyle sp. “Japan”, and from Japan to Germany in 2010.

It is similar to Hydrocotyle Sibthorpioides, although with some differences, the most prominent being the leaves with three to five lobes. Not only its pretty clover-like leaf shape, but also the fact that it is less demanding than Hydrocotyle Sibthorpioides, it is also faster growing and has a creepier growth habit.

Under lots of light and CO2, as well as an ample supply of nutrients, it grows very fast and can even tend to be invasive. Under lower lights it grows more slowly, and its shoots have an upright rather than creeping growth habit.

Its exact origins and species of this Hydrocotyle are still unclear. In the hobby it is known by the names of Hydrocotyle Tripartita, H. spec., H. sp. "Australia", H. sp. “Japan” or H. Maritima. If it really does originate in Australia, the name H. tripartita is probably correct. It can only really be identified by the flowering and fruiting of emerged plants.

Similar groups of Hydrocotyle also occur in East Asia, such as H. Sibthorpioides var. Batrachium (South China, Taiwan, Philippines, Vietnam) and H. Yabei (Japan), which is also considered to belong to H. Sibthorpioides. The name "Hydrocotyle Maritima" is incorrect. According to the online version of “Flora of China”, this name is synonymous with Hydrocotyle Ramiflora, which differs considerably from the plant we have in our aquariums.