Water Wisteria

Water Wisteria (Hygrophila difformis) is an aquatic plant in the family Acanthaceae. It is native to South Asia. Hygrophila difformis produces two quite different leaves depending on where it is growing: finely divided and lacy underwater, and simple and rounded above the surface. The submersed lacy form is what the plant is bought for, and it appears once the plant settles — a newly bought emersed-grown plant will often push up plain leaves first and be assumed to be the wrong species. It comes from South Asia, reaches around 45 cm, and grows in medium light without CO2 at 22 to 28 °C (72–82 °F). It is a hungry, fast plant and one of the standard answers to algae in a new tank, stripping nutrients faster than algae can take them. Cuttings root from any node.