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12/20/2002

	'ATLANTIS' GROWTH STATUS: Seedling 1 - 2 floating leaves, no hastate or filiform leaves remain Seedling 2 - 1 floating leaf, 1 hastate and 1 filiform leaf remain Seedling 3 - 1 beginning floating leaf and 2 hastate leaves, no filiform leaf remaining Seedling 4 - a beginning floating leaf and 1 hastate leaf, no filiform leaf remaining Seedling 5 - a very questionable specimen with stunted growth
'LONGWOOD HYBRID' GROWTH STATUS : Seedlings 1 & 2 - each with 2 floating leaves and 1 hastate leaf, no filiform remaining Seedling 3 - 1 floating leaf and beginning second floating leaf, no hastate leaf or filiform remaining Seedling 4 - a specimen with 3 very small hastate leaves and 1 filiform Seedling 5 - a very questionable specimen with stunted growth

The growth cycles of both varieties are progressing at very similar rates. It seems to me that it is going to get very crowded in a 10 gallon aquarium at this rate! I am beginning to wonder if this home will suffice until June 2003.

It probably won't if all survive and grow at a normal pace. For now, just remember that the little floating leaves don't like it if they overlap.

The images are very green because of the string algae growth that has blossomed. It is even growing on the Victoria leaf stems and I hope it will not affect or harm them in any way.

We have not seen that it does any harm.

I also am wondering just how this whole "adventure" begins in a natural habitat. We have to "nick" our seeds so how are they "nicked" in the wild? As they sink to the river floor I would surmise that they are gradually covered by silt. But at what water depth? The river must be cloudy and I am sure it is a struggle for light and the silt must be very fertile and warm . . . . .

"Nicking" is a convenient way to improve germination odds over Mother Nature's methods. In the wild, the plants produce jillions of seeds so it doesn't take a very high germination rate to perpetuate the species. We presume that fish and other creatures peck away at the seeds and that there is probably some abrasion from tumbling in moving water. Reports vary as to water depth of very young seedlings but muddy shallows are mentioned. Yes, we would assume they are fertile and warm. Since we really don't know enough about exact conditions in the wild to duplicate them (and they would vary considerably), we have had to develop cultivation techniques by trial and error.

	It appears to us that the "filiform" in the image above center is actually a root. All roots should be covered and we still think you need to add sand to some of the cups to accomplish that.
So full of wonder and intrigue . . . . . You are so hooked :>)