# Plant ID: Limnophila aromatica or Pogostemon stellatus 'Broad Leaf'?



## cah925 (May 18, 2007)

IMO, it looks like Limno aromatica, especially in the second pic.

Here's a few pics of mine.


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## frozenbarb (Dec 16, 2006)

Looks like Pogostemon stellatus 

Aromatic has a mint strong scent that is used for cooking.
Rip a piece of leaf and rub it and smell.


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## rich815 (May 21, 2008)

Ok, we got 1 vote for each, so I'm not crazy. 

So the stellatus will have little to no fragrance?

Will check when I get back home.


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## Cardinal Tetra (Feb 26, 2006)

I'd say that is Limnophila aromatica. Pogostemon stellatus has pink/purple nodes.


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## captain_bu (Oct 20, 2007)

Richard... I bought the same plant from the same LFS about a year ago (sold as to me as Eusteralis stellatus) and have always wondered if it was P. stellatus or L. aromatica since it looked so similar. I finally got ahold of some aromatica 2 months ago and to be perfectly honest I still can't tell the difference between the two plants. I have crushed and smelled some leaf and stems from both plants and to me they smell the same. When I was growing the first plant using Excel and no CO2 it developed a nice reddish pink color under the leaves (when I bought it the leaves were completely green). Earlier this year I started injecting CO2 and lost all of the red color on both this plant and my sunset hygro (despite continuing Excel dosing). The L. aromatica that I got 2 months ago came to me with a nice red color under the leaves but has since turned mostly green on me too. I got some narrow leaf stellatus from the same person who sold me the L. aromatica and the leaves are definitely way thinner than either my suspect P. stellatus or the properly identified L. aromatica. If you had narrow leaf stellatus I don't think there would be any question as to whether it was broad or narrow leaf.


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## Tinanti (Aug 25, 2005)

Cardinal Tetra said:


> I'd say that is Limnophila aromatica. Pogostemon stellatus has pink/purple nodes.


Correct! :thumbsup:


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## AaronT (Apr 11, 2004)

It's definitely _Limnophila aromatica_. As Cardinal Tetra and Tinanti pointed out there would be a purple ring around the stem at the base of the leaves if it were _Pogostemon stellatus_.


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## rich815 (May 21, 2008)

Thanks all for the help. The leaves sure are fragrant. Looks like I got L. aromatica. Oh well. Nice plant anyway.

And if I wanted Pogostemon stellatus I could always get a load of it here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260326052378

:icon_eek:


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