Manatee mudflower

Description

Hemianthus glomeratus, also known as Baby Tears, is a popular aquarium plant. It was discovered to be a different species from previously thought, and true Hemianthus micranthemoides is now considered extinct or missing. Hemianthus glomeratus is native to Florida, where it grows in wet depressions and stagnant waters. Its emersed form forms a dense carpet of tiny creeping shoots. The leaves of Hemianthus glomeratus are lanceolate to elliptical, 3-9 mm long and 2-4 mm wide when submerged, and smaller with an elliptical shape when grown emersed. The plant can grow in whorls or oppositely on the stem node. Emersed plants produce tiny white flowers. Hemianthus glomeratus is a relatively undemanding plant that grows best under high light (0.5 watts per liter or more). It forms a dense bush with upright, slanted, or horizontal shoots in well-lit aquaria. Under lower light, it grows vertically with long internodes. The plant benefits from regular supplies of nitrate, phosphate, iron, and micronutrients, and higher phosphate levels can induce larger stems and further growth. However, it is susceptible to fish medication containing Erythromycin or Tryptaflavin. Hemianthus glomeratus is propagated by cutting stems and replanting them in the substrate, or by allowing the plant to spread through its creeping stems. It can be used in a variety of ways, including as a carpet in the foreground, a bush in the middleground, or an eyecatcher in the background of a small tank. Its small leaves make it particularly suitable for nano tanks.