# Asian Ambulia ** Limnophila sessiliflora **



## hedge_fund (Jan 1, 2006)

Anybody have any experience with this plant? I am starting to look for a nice green plant to be used among my predominately red ones. 

Do the little leaves fall off just like the Cabomba?

Difficult to grow?

Any experiences from you guys?

Thanks


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## turbosaurus (Nov 19, 2005)

I have it. It grows like a weed, and does not need the same intense light as cabomba. Mine has never lost the lower leaves and grows much denser than my cabomba which tends to have longer stems with sparser leaf nodules. The stems are also much sturdier- I have had a tough time keeping my cabomba planted as the stems not as hardy as the ambulia. Stems on cabomba that I shove into the substrate often die before roots form to hold it down and it ends up floating up all the time. I have never had that experience with Ambulia, it stays put much better. All around it makes the list of all time easy stem plants. 

but I believe the second picture you have up there is cabomba and not l. Sessiliflora. I think the ID is incorrect. My cabomba sends up emersed leaves like the ones in that picture, and Asian Ambulia emersed leaves don't look like those at all they are long and skinny - shaped like submerged lymnophelia aromatica without the pink.


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## hedge_fund (Jan 1, 2006)

I really like the plant but I'm afraid of all those little thread like pieces floating everywhere. The memories of my Cabomba still live on


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

I grew it in a 125 gallon tank with moderate lighting and a poor fertilizing regime. It did very well, growing much too fast for my taste, but looked very good. It didn't shed leaves at all. The only reason I don't have some now is it is not supposed to be imported to California - noxious weed!


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## esarkipato (Jul 19, 2005)

It is noxious . . . . even in the tank! I've never had a more easy & fast growing stem, in medium-low to medium light. period . . . I've got pretty hard water too (15dGH).

I have some clippings for a RAOK, I'm just about to post them  You should get some (for shipping).


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## stcyrwm (Sep 1, 2005)

I've had some for a couple weeks - so far so good. It looks very nice in the tank.

Bill


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## beviking (Aug 2, 2005)

Ditto as others have said. I have some on a-bid atm but you should know that decent light with ferts the tops get reddish-orangey-yellow.

Another Bill


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## beaucon (Feb 4, 2005)

I really like this plant, it is much tougher than it appears. It keeps it's "feathers" better than any of the similar plant's I've tried. I've grown it in 1.5 wpg's and in 3.3 wpg's. Grows fast.


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## mrbelvedere (Nov 15, 2005)

This is my favorite plant! I'm always suggesting it to people. It grows so fast you won't believe it. Brigh green, undemanding, hardy, it doesn't flake, stong stems, easy to propagate, etc. This is the perfect plant.


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## esarkipato (Jul 19, 2005)

I've found that in high light (110watts PCF over a 29g) the internodal distance gets much, much longer, so it looks really leggy. The tops usually get reddish once they reach the surface with 40watts NOF over a 29g!


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## jart (Jan 17, 2003)

esarkipato said:


> I've found that in high light (110watts PCF over a 29g) the internodal distance gets much, much longer, so it looks really leggy.


This was my experience with 3 wpg. I ended up getting rid of it. Too much work. Nice plant though, until it starts getting leggy.


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## hedge_fund (Jan 1, 2006)

esarkipato said:


> I have some clippings for a RAOK, I'm just about to post them  You should get some (for shipping).


This is awesome. First I get some info on a plant that holds my interest and then I get the plant for free. Can't get better than that.....:thumbsup:


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## mrbelvedere (Nov 15, 2005)

It will get leggy but in dense groups it is unnoticeable. It doesn't look right unless it is in a dense group anyway.


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## turbosaurus (Nov 19, 2005)

Anyone else think that second pic. is mis labeled?


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## oceanaqua (Nov 24, 2005)

The pics of medicine man looks like cabomba.


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## esarkipato (Jul 19, 2005)

It's real hard to decipher ambulia from cabomba unless you have a close-up of the leaf structure. I've found that to be the only sure-fire way!


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## Ryzilla (Oct 29, 2005)

esarkipato said:


> It's real hard to decipher ambulia from cabomba unless you have a close-up of the leaf structure. I've found that to be the only sure-fire way!



The stem of Ambulia is as green as its leaves. Cabomba is not.


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## oceanaqua (Nov 24, 2005)

so its cabomba, I knew the flowers looks familiar.


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## RoseHawke (Mar 10, 2004)

Here is an old thread of mine with some pictures where I had the same questions re: ID of this plant. It did do well under high light (4wpg in this case) for me, but the stems would be thin and it would have very long internodes it grew so fast. You also have to keep after it as it will spread quite energetically. I never had any problems with bits coming off and floating around the tank or anything like that. Apparently that's a problem with cabomba? I'm looking for a fuzzy, frilly type plant right now to take the place of some parrot's feather (locally collected) I stuck in the tank for the heck of it just to see what it'd do. I think I'll strike cabomba off the list of possibles.


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## medicineman (Sep 28, 2005)

It might be mislabeled, and it might be not. If I remembered correctly back then (was it some 4 months ago) , that plant is much different from the regular cabomba I had, that's why I tried it out. If you look closely at the flowers then you can notice something different. This one has aerial leaf before the flower (obvious in the flower-only pic. check for the database). So far as I remembered, there is something different with the plant... not only the look but also the feel and texture of the leaves. Somehow I refuse to say that the plant is the same as regular cabomba (which I have many currently).

Not saying that I claim it as ambulia... I just merely let the forum use it for database and it happens to be ID'ed as ambulia. Like I have said before there are so many of those frilly plants right here that look alike each other with various colours. Usually I would distinguish them from the flowers for a sure differentiation from each other (since there are too many to remember correctly). 

Hey I'm going to tear up again real soon. Lets see if they still have that plant around and next time I'll take a real close up


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## RoseHawke (Mar 10, 2004)

Really don't have to be *that *close, although from even a short distance, all fuzzy plants look like, well, fuzzy plants!

Looking down from the top, though, this is the main difference in the way they grow:










The leaf structure isn't exactly right since I didn't have actual bits of the plants in front of me that I could look at. You get the idea, anyway . Basically the leaves of Cabomba are connected at two points on opposite sides of the stem, _Limnophila_ is connected in many places like the spokes of a wheel.


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## dennx (Aug 11, 2004)

The Asian version (Limnophilia sessiliflora) has been deemed a federal noxious weed. Australian Ambulia (Limnophilia indica) is not noxious and can be shipped. I have some in my tank and it grows well. Bought it from azgardens.com


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## medicineman (Sep 28, 2005)

RoseHawke said:


> The leaf structure isn't exactly right since I didn't have actual bits of the plants in front of me that I could look at. You get the idea, anyway . Basically the leaves of Cabomba are connected at two points on opposite sides of the stem, Limnophila is connected in many places like the spokes of a wheel


Nice... next time I shop I will not have any difficulty in differentiating cabomba aquatica, cabomba caroliana and asian ambulia. Simple and easy enough from the way the leaves are positioned.


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## esarkipato (Jul 19, 2005)

> The Asian version (Limnophilia sessiliflora) has been deemed a federal noxious weed. Australian Ambulia (Limnophilia indica) is not noxious and can be shipped. I have some in my tank and it grows well. Bought it from azgardens.com


What are some comparisons? How do I ID the indica rather than the sessiliflora? Do they have similar growth characteristics?


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