Whorled scutellum

Hydrocotyle vertical or whorled calendula, scientific name Hydrocotyle verticillata. In nature, it grows in warm reservoirs in shallow water along the banks of rivers in areas with a slow current, swamps, lakes. The original natural habitat is unknown. In some sources, it is called an American plant, indicating as a region tropical and equatorial climatic zones from North to South America. However, it is also found in Africa, Australia and New Guinea, and the first documented descriptions just refer to the south of the African continent.

The plant has a thin short stem and a single rounded green leaf about 3 cm in diameter. The stem is connected to the leaf blade in its center, due to which it looks like a miniature umbrella or fungus. Outwardly, it resembles another related species – the Brazilian shieldwort (Hydrocotyle leucocephala), but noticeably smaller, for this dwarfism it is valued, and grows only under water or floats on the surface.

Growing in an aquarium is quite simple. Light is one of the most important factors affecting growth. The higher the light intensity, the lower the plant, and vice versa, in the shade it will begin to stretch. In some cases, especially in new aquariums, there is a lack of nutrients and CO2. However, there is a fine line here, if there is too much top dressing, then the leaves will increase, which is considered unacceptable among professionals. Although in amateur aquarism, this is probably not so critical.