Pterygoid fern: description and care

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

In Latin, they call the pterygoid fern "ceratopteris floating", and in everyday life - water cabbage. Despite this nickname, this type of fern is forbidden to eat.

The plant is quite suitable for landscaping an aquarium. However, it is necessary to properly care for the pterygoid fern.

Distribution area

The winged fern (pictured below) can be found in most of South and in some countries of Central America. There are private small populations both in southern India and on the peninsula of Indochina.

This plant prefers sluggish rivers or motionless swamps. The main thing is that the water is full of organic matter. The location of the ceratopteris species depends on this.

Classification

The winged fern is considered a marsh plant. In accordance with the biological classification, it is called Ceratopteris pteridoides. In the aquarium trade, it is often confused with Ceratopteris cornuta, a different species.

This is part of the large Horn family (Ceratopteridaceae). Botanists have long and carefully studied the pterygoidfern, its properties and characteristics.

Key Features

The winged fern is a fairly large plant that is used to tropical environments. This refers to heat and organic water (usually opaque and cloudy). The bush can not only grow firmly into the ground, but also float on the water surface.

Has a fibrous, beard-like root system. She is thin and grey. If the fern is floating, you can see its root hanging into the water.

Representatives of this species can boast of large dimensions if they grew up in wildlife:

• thick stem - up to 23-30 cm;
• leaf stalks - up to 18 cm;
• leaf thickness - no more than 2 mm;
• leaf plates - up to 18 cm long and 24 cm wide.

The stems of the bush are similar in structure to a sponge. The leaf blades are dissected in shape and have a light green color. To the touch they are juicy, sinewy, but fragile. No wonder this plant is called water cabbage: in appearance it is very similar to cabbage leaves.

A fern has both sterile and fertile (capable of creating new shoots) leaves. It does not depend on whether the bush floats or not. Downward-facing sporangia can be found on the margins of fertile leaves. Under a microscope, they look like little little sacs, each containing 32 spores. From the latter, new shoots of the pterygoid fern appear.

However, this breeding method is only effective in its natural habitat. None were recordedsimilar incident in an artificial pond.

On the surface of the water, all the leaves fold into one small lump, which looks like a head of ordinary cabbage. This is another reason why the winged fern was called the water kale.

Containment conditions

The winged fern needs certain conditions in an aquarium.

Capacity

Water cabbage has a large size, so the capacity must match them. It needs to hold at least 50 liters of water.

It is worth noting that at home, the development and volume of the bush will always be limited by the walls of the aquarium.

Appearance

Waterweed makes a significant contribution to the natural design of the aquarium. Especially if it was planted in the ground at the back wall or on the side.

In most cases, it just floats on the surface of the water and creates shadows on the bottom of the aquarium. These dark areas are favored by some ornamental fish, and dense water kale often provide hiding places for fry.

Water indicators

The liquid should be almost motionless in the container. This can be achieved by adjusting the equipment in an artificial reservoir. The bottom should be covered with a thin layer of silt. As already mentioned, organic matter is a source of nutrition for plants.

The tropical water body in which the bush will grow must meet the following criteria:

• neutral acid-base environment;
• temperature between 22-28 degrees;
• water hardness not higher than 15degrees.

Professional opinion

When breeding a fern, it is recommended to follow the above rules. Otherwise, it will eventually stop growing and die.

The amount of light is not the most important condition of keeping, but daylight hours should last at least six hours. The best choice would be a fluorescent lamp (cold) so that the fern leaves do not dry out and burn.

Most aquarists who have had a winged fern have noticed that it grows better free-floating rather than planted in the ground. In this case, it is likely that the leaves will gradually cover the entire water surface of the aquarium.

Do not completely close the lid on a home pond. So, water will not condense and accumulate on leaves that look out from under the water. Condensation can harm the plant.

He will also be adversely affected by regular transplants. If a winged fern is dug up by its roots from the aquarium soil and left to drift freely, then no one will guarantee that it will take root without problems after the next planting.

Specialists believe that this is a plant with a complex system. It is perfect for a 50-100L aquarium, where it will be a good decoration.