FAAS Publication Awards Form

2010 FAAS Publication Awards | Please follow Reprint Policy Clear Changing Fields Print Form FAAS Publication Awards Form Author Christel Kasselmann Society (NO Abbreviations) Aquatic Gardeners Association, Inc. Age Category 24. Best Traveling Aquarist Article Choose . (Junior Only) Date of Publication November 2010 Title of Publication (NO Abbreviations) The Aquatic Gardener Madagascar: The El Dorado for Aquatic Gardeners Title of Article Enter your official Original articles that appear in The Aquatic Gardener (TAG) may be reproduced in print (paper) media by non-commercial organizations (unless specifically Reprint Policy reprint policy for your stated otherwise) provided that proper credit is given to the author and to The publication. Aquatic Gardener, and that at least one copy of the publication containing the reprinted material is sent to TAG's editor at the time of publication. Credit to TAG asWhere the shouldoriginal we source send award must certificates? appear at the endAddress of the per article,your Reprint as follows: Policy above: "Reprinted with permission from The Aquatic Gardener, the Journal of the Address Information Aquatic Gardeners Association. Any person interested in the Aquatic Gardeners Award certificates should all go to the same address. Association is invited to apply to AGA Membership, PO Box 51536, Denton TX 76206 USA" Any other republication or duplication of the original articles or graphics must first OK to type in your Signature receive permission from TAG's editor or the article author. signature & initials. In this area I saw many stretches Madagascar of temporary standing water in which The El Dorado for Aquatic Gardeners blooming Nymphaea capensis grew Christel Kasselmann. Translated by Kirsten Klinghammer. Photos by the author. densely. At the edges of these ponds in the swamps, one finds many plants that visitors to botanical gardens know as Mimosas: Neptunia oleracea with its yellow inflorescences, andMimosa The fourth largest island on earth topography and accompanying climatic pudica with its pale violet ones. Both contains many interesting water and zones have contributed strongly to varieties belong to the legume family marsh plants beyond the genus Apon- its rich species development. It’s no (Leguminosae). When touched, their ogeton. Most are endemic, and merely wonder, therefore, that an abundance Deep violet blooms of the Madagascar compound leaves close together for sev- await discovery by the aquarium trade. of aquatic and marsh plants are also Water Lily. eral minutes, a unique mechanism by Since Madagascar split from Gond- only distributed here. Some of these which they defend themselves against wanaland 150 million years ago and are familiar to aquarists, while others When one drives further east herbivorous enemies. The genus Ae- from the African continent 90 million wait to be introduced and tested in the toward Kirindy, after 16 kilometers schynomene is also a legume, and the years ago, it has come to be the land aquarium. In the following article, I the asphalt road ends, and one begins floating Aeschynomene fluitans was in- with the highest occurrence of endemic would like to highlight certain species I to see characteristic plants of the dry troduced within recent years. Together species in the world. For this reason, have discovered in my travels through- woodland, such as the baobab. Of the with these mimosas, one occasionally the island has been placed under out Madagascar. eight baobabs (genus Adansonia) found finds water clovers, Marsilea ssp. Some special international protection. Due on Madagascar, seven are endemic. of these form leaves that extend to to the uncounted numbers of animals These imposing giant trees can reach The Western Region near float at the water surface. Five species and plants found only on Madagascar, 1000 years in age and 20 meters in of Marsilea are found in Madagascar, scientists refer to it as being its own Morondava height, and store a tremendous amount although I can’t say whether they may “microcontinent.” The land’s varied The first flowers to strike a traveler’s of water. A section of the road to eye are the lovely blooms of Nymphaea Kirindy is famously known as Baobab all be of interest to the aquarium trade. capensis var. madagascariensis. This water Alley, for the Adansonia grandidieri that In the ponds around the city of lily is distributed throughout the entire line it. Morondawa, I met an impressive island, and is found in particularly beautiful groupings east of the coastal city of Morondava. Nymphaea lotus is apparently also found in Western Madagascar. Nymphaea capensis has colonized large regions of the African continent, while the variety madagascariensis occurs only in Madagascar. This variety is easily recognized due to its eye-catching deep violet flowers; however, I’ve also seen madagascariensis flowers ranging in color from white to pink, up through that deep violet. Biotopes of blooming water lilies make an unforgettable sight. I found the most beautiful groupings of these in Western Madagascar about 20 kilometers east of Morondava, where they occur with Eichhornia crassipes. Originally from South America, this water hyacinth has Magnificent grouping of Nymphaea capen- spread quickly due to its tendency of sis var. madagascariensis with impressive aggressive growth, and is choking out baobab trees. native flora. The rare Limnophyton obtusifolium. 32 The Aquatic Gardener Volume 23 Number 4 33 distributed through the dry forest of successfully for me in my aquarium for Kirindy, which also contains a wealth two years. I was unsuccessful in propa- of interesting epiphytes, orchids and gating it through spores, so someone ferns. Nymphoides thunbergiana is im- will need to collect this species again. mediately noticeable due to its yellow, The endemic water plant Lagarosi- shaggily hairy crown. This Nymphoides phon madagascariensis is of great value colonizes temporary bodies of water, to the aquarium hobby, as it may be and occurs with the other species cultivated as an aquarium plant. I often mentioned. Water and swamp plants saw it growing with other aquatic and from such biotopes endure the dry marsh plants in ponds in eastern Mo- The Alismatacea family includes Sagittaria guayanensis (left) and Caldesia parnassiifolia season through seeds or underground rondava, however it also occurs in large (right). storage organs. Only with the return of single-species stands in certain tem- the rainy season does new life develop. porary bodies of water. Although this water plaintain (family Alismataceae), lowed through only a few hours of sun Two further Nymphoides await discov- graceful and easy care species grows Limnophyton obtusifolium, which is also each day. Salivinias belong to a group ery by the aquarium trade: Nymphoides rapidly, it is unsuited to the aquarium distributed across broad regions of of floating plants with extreme light bosseri with its white flowers and N. trade. Like many other true aquatic tropical Africa. Many species from this requirements, and typically degener- elegans with its yellow blooms. plants which are not found in the trade, family within the genera Echinodorus ate quickly and become stunted in the Of the three Isoetes species native to these plants can’t be propagated as land and Alisma are familiar to aquarists. aquarium. Salvinia hastata is an excep- Madagascar, I found the aquatic Isoetes plants. This makes them unacceptable, Other alismatacians from Madagascar tion in this respect, and therefore the welwitschii to be of interest to aquarists. and it’s quite unfortunate. For anyone are Wiesneria filifolia, Sagittaria guayan- importation of this interesting species It grew in small but dense groupings with an interest in L. madagascareniensis, ensis and Caldesia parnassifolia, which all would be desirable. in a wet location near Kirindy, partially I would be happy to be of assistance. live in or near water. Wiesneria filifolia Nymphoides thunbergiana, also above and partially below the water. is of interest to aquarists, although it known as Nymphoides indica in “Flora Unfortunately I only brought one sam- is little known to science, as it is a true of Madagascar and the Comoros,” is ple home with me, yet that one grew aquatic plant with narrow ribbon-like leaves—similar to Valisneria. Two species from the families Sal- viniaceae and Azollaceae are distributed within Madagascar, Azolla pinnata and the previously unknown floating fern, Salvinia hastata, which is endemic to the island. This latter is recogniz- able by its comparatively large, long Lagarosiphon madagascariensis is a decora- leaves that grow densely and lie flat on tive, easily cultivated aquarium plant. the water surface. I found this float- However, it remains rarely grown. ing fern in temporary ponds shaded surrounded by vegetation, which al- The South Around Fort Dauphin The south of Madagascar is charac- terized by its extreme paucity of precipitation. Unsurprisingly, the vegetation consists of savannah and thorny plants. Several meter high Didier acacias, eu- phorbias, pachypodes, and many aloe Nymphoides thunbergiana in Kirindy forms varieties are noticeable; for botanists a remarkable biotope with other water Isoetes welwitschii growing here both this provides a highly interesting study Salvinia hastata is not yet familiar to us. plants. emersed and submersed. area. Even in this arid region with its 34 The Aquatic Gardener Volume 23 Number 4 35 limited precipitation, one finds moist areas. In these are found the endemic pitcher plant, Nepenthese madagascariensis, whose red or yellow pitchers capture insects that nourish the plants. Also in Madagascar, yet in the east, the pitchers of the endemic Nepenthes masoalensis show a different form. Another aquatic and marsh plant of interest to the aquarium trade that I col- lected over 20 years ago, Bacopa madagascariensis, is occasionally cultivated in the aquarium. This Bacopa grows in marshy areas, but is only common in the south. I also found this plant growing in eastern Madagascar in the same habitat as the Madagascar Lace Plant, Aponogeton madagascariensis.

Load more