Wolffia rootless: description and features of cultivation

Interest in home aquariums and ponds typical of many people. Especially like to watch the life of underwater inhabitants to children. To decorate the corners of the water, people use various decorative elements. But looks best aquarium when it is planted with greenery. For these purposes, different plants. One of the most interesting among them is Wolffia rootless.

General description

It is inconspicuous plant. It looks like tiny dark green balls. It is slightly flattened laterally. The dimensions are so small that without a microscope it is good to consider this plant very difficult. The ball reaches a length of 1.5 mm, and its width not more than 1 mm. For comparison, we can imagine that the match head is placed up to 30 green balls.

Wolffia rootless is, at first glance, floating in the water clot. However, it has all the organs, including a tiny trunk. During flowering it appears the tiny flowers with the pistil and stamen. Its not impossible to see without a microscope. For the layman this is a common duckweed. In fact, is its close relative, having its own characteristics.

Structure

The Experts studied Wolffia rootless and came to the conclusion that it is quite a complex plant body. In addition to the trunks, she has the stomata. That is, the plant has the ability to photosynthesize. It produces oxygen and absorbs carbon dioxide. Of course, its dimensions are small, but in one reservoir such "balls" hundreds of thousands.

Where widespread plant

Wolffia rootless - this plant is subtropical. That is, the majority of it is found in southern latitudes. In total, scientists discovered more than 16 types, which are common in calm waters in Africa, Asia and America. In our latitudes have been discovered and studied only one species - Wolfia arrhiza. An interesting plant can be a decoration of the pond to your cottage.

A Rootless Alga Wolfe floats on the surface of the pond. With all the nutrients that it obtains directly from the water. The optimum temperature is in the range of +24...+28 degrees. Quite calmly she withstands up to +12 ^OC. If gets even colder, the plant will die.

How propagated plant

Wolfie rootless, a photo which allows us to trace an analogy with the duckweed reproduces in two ways. This explains its rapid spread on the surface of the water, especially under favorable environmental conditions.

• Divide the mother plant into multiple parts.
• Education processes, which, reaching maturity, fall away and begin an independent life. Thus was born a new Wolffia rootless.

Plants for ponds are often chosen according to two criteria. The plant is simple to care for and breed very quickly. The surface of the plants is somewhat Lucescu, so any object dropped into the water, will be instantly covered in green balls. This allows them to move easily from place to place. This is especially true of the southern, tropical regions. Here every body of water standing tied with green tape.

Food for fish

If the person uses the plant today is as purely decorative in nature, it has other functions. In particular, the green balls serve as food for many fish species. Modest green ball is rich in nutrients. In its composition of 60% starch and 20% fats, 10% proteins and carbohydrates. In large quantity it contains vitamins A, C, B and PP.

In this regard, hobbyists have adapted the plant does not only decorate the aquarium but fish food. The green mass is with great pleasure that eat barbs and goldfish and African cichlids. Professional aquarists note that adding wolfii in the diet of fishes feel much better. They have become a more vivid color, they breed well.

Useful properties

It Should be noted that Wolfie eat not only fish. Tiny plant contains as much protein as soy beans. In the homeland of even baked cakes. The filtration ability of Wolfie so strong that it can be used as a cleaner of industrial clarifiers. It actively cleans the water from heavy metal salts. Today waspopular to grow Wolffia in landscape ponds and parks.

Features growing

Wolffia rootless blooms quite readily, but to note it very difficult. Therefore, the main decorative accent is the presence of bright green carpet on the pond's surface. The cultivation of the plant is of a peculiar nature. Hardly anyone perceives Wolfie exclusively as an ornamental plant. More often it is a complementary feed or a living shelter for the fry.

The composition of the water the plant is not demanding. But develops best in soft, slightly acidic water. Despite the fact that it does not tolerate running water, you have to regularly create surface vibrations, otherwise you may develop a bacterial rot. In aquarium conditions, the plant grows very quickly, have to regularly remove part of it and dry to use as feed. If "carpet" is too grows, it can kill other plants as completely recycles carbon dioxide, which is contained in the water.

Experienced aquarists grow Wolffia in a special net cages. On the one hand, it is a green decoration and is available for eating fish. On the other - will not take the entire surface of your water entirely. In a similar way, we can proceed to regulate populations of plants in a decorative pond.