Echinodorus osiris

Family
Alismataceae

Common Name
Melon Sword

Origin
South America; these plants are found in Brazil.

Planting Area
Midground to Background

Propagation
Although this is a rhizome plant, division of the rhizome is not the only way this plant can be propagated. They will also develop adventitious plants around the mother plant. To propagate these it is simply a matter of prying them free from the rosette of leaves and re-planting them in the substrate. Ensure that they get nutrients added straight away to encourage the new root growth.

Difficulty
Easy

Short Description
This plant seems to prefer the cooler end of the temperature range and will produce leaves with a reddish colour if kept this way. They make a great specimen plant for the aquarium but they do require plenty of room, as well as growing up wards, the rosette will spread outwards as well. They do require plenty of nutrients so when first planting add some root tabs to the substrate and as the plant matures use the root tabs on a regular basis.