# Why does my Amazon Sword have long skinny leaves?



## redbouche (Mar 31, 2010)

I've got a 70 gallon corner aquarium with about 125W of CF light. It's populated with your standard low light plants. Crypts, Dwarf Sag, Moneywart, Hornwart, Anubias, Java Fern, and a couple of amazon swords. The swords have been in for about 5 or 6 months, and they are growing alright, but instead of the traditional wide leaf of the end of a long stem, the leaves have almost no stem and are 7-10 inches long and maube 1.5 inches wide. I assume this is because of the low light, but I thought that low light might make the stems even longer as they reached for the top. I'm growing them in a 29 gallon with a few juvi discus at around 2wpg, and I'm getting the same result. Is this typical?


----------



## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

That's typical for Amazon Swords (Echinodorus bleheri/amazonicus). You might be thinking of something like E. cordifolius. There are really many different Swords with different leaf shapes, sizes, colors. Google the ones I mentioned for some images.


----------



## redbouche (Mar 31, 2010)

The reason I ask is it used to have long stems and short wide leaves when I bought it, and those died off. It may have just been grown emmersed before it came to the store, and the submerged version has different leaves.


----------



## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

You are correct! Swords are often grown emersed in nurseries, and the emerse leaves have this different shape.


----------



## redbouche (Mar 31, 2010)

Ok, thanks for the input folks. Mystery solved.


----------



## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

redbouche said:


> The reason I ask is it used to have long stems and short wide leaves when I bought it, and those died off. It may have just been grown emmersed before it came to the store, and the submerged version has different leaves.


Those were from emersed growth. Now that it is grown submerged, you get submersed growth like you have...


----------



## Sharkfood (May 2, 2010)

What you're seeing is normal. I bought a sword with nice little round leaves about a month ago, and now it has 12 inch long pointy leaves. I suppose any plant called a "sword" should have leaves like that though.


----------



## alan j t (Feb 13, 2008)

yup


----------

