Ottelia

Ottelia, scientific name Ottelia alismoides. The original natural habitat was limited to the tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Australia. It has now been introduced and successfully established itself in the wild nature of Southern Europe and North America. It occurs everywhere, both in reservoirs with stagnant water, and in sections of rivers with a slow current.

The plant forms voluminous bushes of large oval leaves (up to 22 cm) on long petioles up to 50 cm, collected in a rosette. The leaf blades are thin and veins clearly show through them. In favorable conditions and when the leaves reach the surface of the water, an arrow appears from the base of the rosette, which is crowned with small flowers with white petals speckled with yellow.

Due to its size and fragile leaves, often damaged during transport, Ottelia is rarely used in hobby aquariums. Optimum conditions for growth are achieved in spacious tanks with warm water (not lower than 18 ° C), soft nutrient soil and a high level of lighting. The hydrochemical composition of the water is not significant, however, this plant should not be kept in very hard alkaline water.