# Killies Import > Planted Tanks >  New liverwort?

## Robert

Hi,
last Friday I got a new plant. In German this rare plant is called "Süßwassertang" which is a useless name. It means "freshwater seaweed" in English. Nobody seems to know a latin name for. It looks like this:



I guess it is a liverwort because of the structure of the (probably) thalli:



The thalli are bit bigger than Monoselenium tenerum and should grow slower than them. It should come from Taiwan but don't know if it is true. That is all I know about this plant. This picture shows a comparison of the unknown liverwort with Monoselenium tenerum:



Did anyone saw this plant before? And could anyone help me to identify this plant?

best regards

Robert

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## kimco

That looks just like the one being sold in a LFS here. The LFS called them "Giant Riccia". Unlike M.Tonerum, the growth pattern of these are similar to riccia fluitans and the growth is super slow too, like the "mini Pellia". Unfortunately the LFS do not allow me to take a photo of their tank, else we could do some comparison.

Cheers,

KG

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## Aphanius Mento

Looks like ulvacea ulvalactuca.  :Shocked:

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## stormhawk

_Ulva lactuca_ or Sea Lettuce is a marine species of blue-green macro algae.

http://www.vsv.cape.com/~harharb/sealettucecontrol.html

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## RRG

Robert, are you currently propagating this plant? 

Was the liverwort thriving submerged before you bought this liverwort? Im asking this question because there might be a small possibility that it could be a terrestrial plant.

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## Robert

Hi Randall,
I propagate it now submerse as well as the man who sold it to me did it before. It can live well submerse but it could be a teresstical plant of course.

regards

Robert

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## timebomb

Robert,

It so happens the professor took a keen interest in this plant when we saw it in our visit to Oriental Aquarium. I'm kind of surprised the plant is available in Germany as it isn't on sale in Singapore. 

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, on behalf of the professor, I went to Oriental again to collect a sample of the plant. The professor is going to do some research work on it. Last time I heard, he does not know the identity yet. It may surprise you to know that the plant might not be a Liverwort. Please take note that I said "might not" as nothing is confirmed yet.

I have a small amount of it in one of my tanks. Here's the picture I took before I tied the plant to a rock:


Here's a picture of a single frond:





> That looks just like the one being sold in a LFS here. The LFS called them "Giant Riccia".


KG, for what it's worth, the common name "Giant Riccia" is generally accepted here in Singapore to refer to the plant known as _Monoselenium tenerum_. The new plant Robert showed us does not have a common name yet as it's still very rare but I suppose it will eventually be known as "Giant Giant Riccia".  :Laughing: 

Loh K L

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## victri

This is an old topic, but any updates on this plant? Was it ever identified?

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## Robert

Hi victri, 
I still don't know any scientific name for it yet. I still keep it and it grows, slowly and steadily. The new growth is about 50% of the amount of the amount when I got it. So it grows really slowly, although there is artificial CO2 injection, fertilizer, medium light etc. .

regards

Robert

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## victri

Hi Robert,

Thanks for the update. I do have some of this plant too. It was sent to me from a friend in Austria. Growth is slow, like you mentioned. I really like the full round shape. I guess I'll just refer to it as "Süßwassertang" till we know better.

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## Apisto

This is a nice plant indeed, i have a huge ball of it, but that didn't come overnight. we'r still not certain of the name but I know it came from the botanical garden of Munchen (germany). 

When I first got it (can't get this between img tags):

http://www.venividivissie.org/album_pic.php?pic_id=2349

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## Robert

Hi,
today I read a new article about Monosolenium tenerum. They also mentioned this plant shown by me in my first post. They say that this should be the prothalium of a farn. They don't know the species yet. All they know is that it is a very rare case of an submerse growing prothalium of a fern. BTW, I didn't bought the magazine, so I can't quote it. To buy a magazine only for one article is not possible for a student like me.

regards
Robert

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## timebomb

> All they know is that it is a very rare case of an submerse growing prothalium of a fern.


Robert, I don't know what's a prothalium but the professor told me the plant is a fern. As far as I know, this plant is of keen interest to many botanists around the world, for a few reasons. One, it does not look like a fern at all. There are no stems and no real roots. The thickness of the leaves is just one-cell thick which would mean it's a very large cell but a very thin leaf. A few botanists are growing this fern and they are trying to make it produce stems. I don't know if their experiments are successful but if you see stems, please let us know immediately as this would be of great interest to the botanists.

I still have the plant in my tanks and recently, I gave some of it to "Bioplast" fish shop. If anyone can get the plant to grow stems, they are the one.

Loh K L

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## victri

Here's my input. I've grown this both submersed and emersed the past year or so. Both forms appear similar. The only visible difference is that the emersed form has a "glossier" texture. I haven't seen any roots or stems. 

Something else to add. I've heard of it being referred to as "Taiwan Fern".

Happy New Year!

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## zoosey

I know Im a couple years too late! Timebomb, if youre still kicking, could you kindly ask the professor how fern gametophytes reproduce asexually. To my knowledge the only form of asexual reproduction in ferns is through rhizome division in the sporophyte stage. And please kindly ask him/her to justify the classification of a fern. Im very curious  :Surprised:

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## zoosey

I know Im a couple years too late! Timebomb, if youre still kicking, could you kindly ask the professor how fern gametophytes reproduce asexually. To my knowledge the only form of asexual reproduction in ferns is through rhizome division in the sporophyte stage. And please kindly ask him/her to justify the classification of a fern. Im very curious  :Surprised:

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## timebomb

Being late is okay but here in killies.com, asking for a favour anonymously can be a big problem. 

How do you think I should ask the professor the questions you want me to ask when I can't even tell him who's asking and where you are from?

Please read the rules and forum netiquette before making your next post.

Loh K L

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## zoosey

Sorry bout that! No intent on being rude or anonymous.

Sean Sweeney
hobbyist
Orlando, FL
[email protected]

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## timebomb

Very well, Sean. Your apology is accepted. Welcome to the forum  :Smile: 

I will convey your questions to the professor the next time I see him. For the present moment, I can tell you a few things about the plant. First, it's known as a fern gametophyte. I don't know enough about the life cycles of ferns to know what's a gametophyte but I think you sound like someone who would know.

Secondly, they have finally discovered the identity of this fern. "They" in this case, refers to the botanists around the world who were working on the plant. Through DNA fingerprinting, they know the scientific name. I heard it once but cannot remember it. It isn't a familiar latin name, definitely not a Microsorum nor a Bolbitis. The professor said there's going to be some sort of a conference later this year where they will announce to the world the identity of this fern gametophyte. We wait with bated breath, of course  :Smile: 

An additional point of interest - Christel Kasselmann believes the fern first came from her tanks. She suspects it must have attached itself to some other plants she picked up on her plant-collecting expeditions around the world.

Loh K L

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## zoosey

Thanks a bunch! I greatly appreciate the favor! I can't wait to see a published journal. If Christel is responsible for such an intriguing find, I think the community owes her quite a debt of gratitude(more than that which is already owed.) Ill have to shake her hand the next time she wanders over into my part of the swamp.

Im assuming this is the thread to find out the moment the conference is held? =)

Thanks again!
Sean

 :Very Happy:   :Very Happy:

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## timebomb

> Im assuming this is the thread to find out the moment the conference is held? =)


I'm afraid I can't be sure of this, Sean. If memory serves, the professor said the conference will be held somewhere in the US of A. It could very well be that you find out the name before we do.

But I'll keep you informed if I hear news on this fern gametophyte. You're not the only one who has expressed a keen interest in this plant but the professor is playing his cards close to his chest, if you know what I mean  :Smile: 
He refused to write down the name for me when I asked him for it. Unfortunately, my mind isn't as sharp as it used to be. I heard the name once but for the life of me, I just can't recall it.

Loh K L

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## propor

Look:

http://www.2007.botanyconference.org...detail&aid=911

It seems, that *Round pelia* can be a gametophyte of ferns from species:
_Lomariopsis lineata_  :Very Happy:  .

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## timebomb

That's an amazing piece of investigative work, Robert. Thanks for the link.
So now we know  :Smile: 

Loh K L

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## timebomb

I forgot to mention Please do not use the common name as mentioned by Robert. The fern is neither a pellia nor is the shape round. Common names are not expected to make sense but I don't think we want a name that is really ridiculous.

Loh K L

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## zoosey

Amazing! Now the search is on for the elusive Süßwassertang sporophyte!

Sean

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## hii

I have this mini liverwort in my tank for quite some time, it grow from needle leaf fern leaves.

Growing rate very very slow. I can't find the name for it since last time I posted on other forum for identification.

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