Echinodorus Frans Stoffels
Echinodorus Frans Stoffels is a product of a cross between Echinodorus Barthii and Echinodorus ozelot. The plant got its name after Frans Stoffels, owner of the aquarium plant company STOFFELS-PETERS, Netherlands. Despite the fact that the plant is very rare to find in aquarium collections, it is quite simple to keep, so it is ideal for beginners.
Echinodorus Frans Stoffels is a strikingly beautiful and rare new sword-shaped plant. The underwater form has submerged leaves 20-35 cm high. The youngest leaf is purplish red with protruding lighter veins, but at the base of the lamina it is greenish around the main veins. Older leaves have greenish petioles in the lower half and reddish-brown ones in the upper half. The laminae are heart-shaped, ranging from obtuse to shallowly incised at the apex. They are red to reddish-brown in color with 7 main veins, not much different in color, that open at the base. The leaf laminae are longer than the petioles and measure 12-16 x 7-10 cm, but their edges are so strongly wavy that they cannot be accurately measured. The oldest laminae are wide, reddish-green. Under acceptable conditions, the plant can flower, releasing beautiful inflorescences both submerged and on the surface of the water. The bush reaches a height of 40 cm.
This is an attractive plant for medium to large aquariums, used mainly as a solitaire.
When submerged, the flower stalks are positioned above the water. These inflorescences are protected by large, sensitive white flowers, after which sprouts quickly form. In its above-water form, the plant is equally attractive. The leaves are green with burgundy veins emanating from bottom to top. These dark maroon parts are wider than the veins, which gives this aquarium plant an attractive and unique look. The burgundy color fades as the leaf matures. E. Frans Stoffels is a strong and fast-growing above-water variety.
Shrubs should be planted in fertile soil. Planting is single, at intervals of about 10 cm.
Water parameters: Temperature 22-28° C, pH 6.0-8.0. The plant does not require additional feeding of CO2, although it is welcome, contributing to accelerated growth.
Lighting is moderate to strong. Duration of daylight hours 10-12 hours per day.
Reproduction
Echinodorus Frans Stoffels blooms easily and produces many seedlings. Propagation is by daughter plants from the flowering stem or by dividing the rhizome, removing the roots and rotten parts and allowing it to float to the surface. Several new plants will grow from it, which can later be planted after division.
