hydrocotyle that doesnt climb?

[Ras]

is there a hydrocotyle that will stay low as a carpet and wont climb all over taller objects

[William]

Most if not all species that you can find will climb. You will need to trimm them about once a week to keep them where you want them. One of the best species for you might be Hydrocotyle tripartita. It is available from Tropica (http://www.tropica.com/en/plants/plantdescription.aspx?pid=039B).

[Byron]

Agree. Here is some info from my profile of the Brazilian species, Hydrocotyle leucocephala, that may be of interest in understanding this.


The Apiaceae (or Umbelliferae) family, commonly referred to as the carrot or parsley family, is comprised mainly of aromatic herbs with hollow stems. It is one of the families within the Angiosperms (Flowering Plants). The English botanist John Lindley described the family in 1836, deriving the name from that of the type genus, Antium, established by Carl Linnaeus who used the name of a celery-like plant as mentioned in the works of the Roman writer Pliny the Elder (ca. 50 AD). The family holds more than 3700 species in 434 genera.

The genus Hydrocotyle, erected by Carl Linnaeus, contains up to 100 species of aquatic or semi-aquatic prostrate plants, commonly referred to as the pennyworts. They have long creeping stems with round or kidney-shaped leaves with scalloped margins, and all flower. When grown submersed, it is natural for such creeping plants to grow up toward the light source.

Another aside, for interest (I hope), on Carl Linnaeus, who is called the father of taxonomy.

A binomial nomenclature system is used to name all life, botanical and zoological; simply put, “nomenclature” means the names along with the system used to assign those names, and “binomial” means two names. These two are the genus (plural genera) and the species (or specific epithet). This system was developed by the Swedish botanist, zoologist and physician Carl Linnaeus who lived from 1707-1778. In 1735, Linnaeus published his Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis; in translation, “System of nature through the three kingdoms of nature, according to classes, orders, genera and species, with [generic] characters, [specific] differences, synonyms, places.” Usually referred to as simply Systema naturae, by the thirteenth edition in 1767 it had become a monumental classification of all then-known species of life on earth. The system further developed into modern Linnaean taxonomy, the hierarchically-organized biological classification that is today used to classify all species of animals and plants. Strict rules govern this system, established and enforced by the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature.

[Ras]

thanks I will look into the Hydrocotyle tripartita

just looking for something fast growing that could carpet in lower light, I like how the hydrocotyle carpets too, was just hoping there was a non climbing species :P